NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Department of Athletics announced the appointment of Mike Erb to the position of head track and field/cross country coach.
"We are excited to have Mike join our team," said Director of Athletics
Derek Morel. "Mike has demonstrated success on the NCAA Division I level as an assistant and has managed his own program as a head coach early in his career. We expect his experience and vision will translate to a positive developmental environment for our student-athletes."
Prior to being selected as head coach of the Privateer program, Erb has spent five seasons as a member of the Illinois women's track and field staff as an assistant coach, working primarily with field event athletes. The last two seasons, Erb has also handled coaching duties associated with the men's high jump, pole vault, javelin and multi-events.
During his tenure at the Big 10 school, he coached 10 student-athletes to All-American performances, six to Big 10 individual championships and had nine student-athletes post school-records. In addition, the Illini won the Big 10 women's indoor team title in 2013 and in five years, a total of 54 student-athletes coached by Erb have scored points at the league championship events.
Erb arrived at Illinois after successful coaching stints at Marquette and the University of Redlands. He spent the 2008 season as an assistant coach at Marquette, where he was responsible for coaching the men's and women's long and triple jumpers as well as the multi-event athletes.
"It's an honor to be part of the revitalization of the cross country and track and field programs here at UNO," said Erb. "There are some amazing young student-athletes here, and I'm thrilled to be a part of what's to come. "
The tenure at UNO is the second head coaching stint for Erb, who served as the head men's and women's cross country and track and field coach at the University of Redlands in California from 2002 through 2007.
In his time at Redlands, Erb guided the men's track and field program from a last place conference finish to consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division III Championships in 2006 and 2007. With the Bulldogs, Erb coached four NCAA champions, eight All-Americans, 20 NCAA Championships qualifiers and 152 All-Conference performers. He also coached Corey White, who went on to the Pan American Junior Championships, where he placed second with a throw of 228-10.
Erb received his undergraduate degree in environmental science in 1998 from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, where he was a decathlete and jumper from 1994-1998, earning two conference titles in the triple jump. He also received his Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from Redlands in 2005.
Erb is certified as a USATF Level II coach in the jumps and throws and is a USATF Level I instructor.
TRANSACTION – University of New Orleans names Mike Erb as head track and field/cross country coach.
