Lehigh University Athletics
Track and Field
- Title:
- Assistant Head Coach
- Email:
- deu3@lehigh.edu
Debbie Utesch is in her seventh year as the head cross country and distance coach at Lehigh. Last year her women’s team finished fourth at the Patriot League Championships while the men’s team finished sixth. Three years ago, she was appointed a NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional representative for women’s cross-country and was re-elected for this position in 2002.
Utesch's accolades at Lehigh include having coached four All-Patriot League First-Team selections, an ECAC champion (Steve Gourley-1999), a Patriot League runner-up (Alex L'Heureux-1999) and the Patriot League record holder in the 3000m steeplechase (Alex L' Heureux-8:54.72). Utesch's 1999 men's team finished third at the Patriot League Championships, the highest during her tenure. In addition, Utesch has coached a Lehigh woman to a Patriot League Championship in the 3000m steeplechase in every year since its inception in 2001.
Utesch comes to Lehigh after serving as associate head cross country coach and assistant track coach at Millersville University from 1994-96. During her tenure there, she coached nationally ranked Division II track and cross-country teams. The Millersville men’s track & field team earned a ranking as high as 13th in 1996 while the women’s track and field team ranked 18th that same year.
As assistant track coach, Utesch helped coach a total of five All-Americans, whose events ranged from the 3000 meters to the triple jump. In 1996, the Millersville women’s track and field team won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title. Utesch was also named to the ECAC and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) games committees during her time at Millersville.
Utesch earned her bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of Rhode Island in 1988, where she was a member of both the cross country and track teams. She earned her M.B.A. from St. Francis College (PA) in 2000.
Utesch and her husband Matt, the head track & field coach at Lehigh, reside in Bethlehem with their daughter Sydney.
