Lehigh University Athletics
Men's Track and Field
- Title:
- Men's Cross Country Head Coach
Assitant Track and Field Coach
- Email:
- tme2@lehigh.edu
- Phone:
- 610-758-4391
- Alma Mater:
- Fourth Season
Todd Etters ’02 is in his fourth season as head coach of the Lehigh men's cross country program. Etters spent six seasons as an assistant coach for the men's and women's cross country teams before becoming head coach for the men's team in 2008. During his first season as head coach Etters led the Mountain Hawk men to a ninth place ranking in the Mid-Atlantic Region, their tenth consecutive victory over archrival Lafayette in the annual dual meet, a top-five finish at the prestigious Iona Meet of Champs and the program’s highest Patriot League finish since 1999. In addition Etters mentored three All-Patriot League selections in Ben Lampi, Jon Wetzel and Evans Kosgei. Wetzel later went onto All-Region distinction.
Etters became Lehigh's first-ever full time assistant coach for cross country in 2005, an appointment that was made possible in part thanks to the generosity of Lehigh Penske Hall of Fame member Murray H. Goodman ’48. In October 2004, Goodman pledged a $5 million gift to the Athletics Department as part of the university-wide “Shine Forever: The Campaign for Lehigh” fundraising effort.
As an assistant at Lehigh, Etters helped guide the Mountain Hawk men’s and women’s cross country programs to top-15 regional rankings in four consecutive seasons, including 2005 when both programs earned top-10 final rankings.
As an assistant in 2005, Etters and the cross country program had one of their most successful seasons, as both the Lehigh men and women finished the season ranked within the top-ten of the Mid-Atlantic Region, and produced top-ten finishes at the Iona Meet of Champions. Both teams also fared well in the league, with the women finishing third and the men finishing fourth at the Patriot League Championships. Four Mountain Hawks were named to the All-League teams, including Jen Schappert, who finished second overall for the second consecutive season. Schappert then went on to earn her second straight All-Region and Academic All-American honors. To top it off, Schappert became the first runner in school history to qualify for the NCAA National Championships.
In 2004, Etters helped lead the men to a number-eight ranking in the Mid-Atlantic Region, the highest ever in his time at Lehigh, as the Mountain Hawks finished in the top-ten of every race they ran in, except the nationally known Paul Short Run, where they placed 11th. The men placed fourth and the women sixth at the 2004 Patriot League Championships, while three Lehigh runners were named to the All-Patriot League teams.
In addition to the team's success on the course, the men's cross country team has fared well in the classroom, earning USCCCA Academic All-American Team honors in each of the past seven seasons.
While with the Mountain Hawks as a runner, Etters competed in the 5000-meter and 3000-meter steeplechase at the Patriot League Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He was a four-year letter winner and was named captain in cross country in his senior year. Etters was the 2001 Lehigh cross country Coaches Award recipient, and is USATF Level 1 coaching certified.
Etters, who earned a sociology degree from Lehigh in 2002, currently resides in Allentown with his wife Edann.
