Regis Athletics welcomes Evan Verbal as new Head Cross Country Coach

May 08 | By: David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications

DENVER, Colo. — The Regis University Department of Athletics is excited to announce the hiring of Evan Verbal as the next Head Cross Country Coach heading into the 2023-24 school year.

Verbal comes to Regis after spending the past three seasons as an Assistant Coach for Cross Country/Track and Field at his alma mater, Colorado Christian University.

A former two-time NCAA Division II All-American as a student-athlete, Verbal has made a seamless transition to the coaching role. And he has been vital piece in building the Cougars cross country teams into top-10 programs on the national stage.

"I am incredibly excited and honored to be the men's and women's cross-country coach at Regis University. I have already felt the cohesive and competitive spirit of this athletic department, and I can't wait to model that as the coach of the running program," Verbal said. "These athletes want to be challenged and desire to succeed on the course. It is my goal to create a new culture of hard work and grit that helps them feel proud of their efforts. I can't wait to get going."

Verbal's primary responsibilities at Colorado Christian have included, but were not limited to, directing the recruiting efforts for the cross country program since 2020, overseeing the on-boarding process for new student-athletes, coaching training sessions and managing the program's social media accounts.

In his first year with CCU in 2020, Verbal helped the programs navigate the abbreviated seasons and struggles associated with the Covid-19 Pandemic. The men's team would cap the season with a third-place finish at the RMAC Championships while the women placed ninth.

Colorado Christian would build off that momentum in 2021 as the men finished third at the South Central Regional Championships and the women's team claimed a fifth place finish. Both squads qualified for the national meet, with the CCU men placing 10^th overall and the women earning 22^nd place as a team at the NCAA Division II National Championships in Saint Leo, Florida.

The two programs ascended to new heights in 2022 as the men earned the school's highest national finish — for any male CCU sport — when they earned third overall at the NCAA Division II Championships. The CCU women would also make program history last fall as they soared from 22^nd to tenth-place on the national leaderboard.

"After a national search, that yielded over 40-plus quality applicants and numerous interviews, Evan was the unanimous choice by our entire community. Not only does he bring his deep passion for mission, but also an impressive record of helping runners reach the best versions of themselves," said Associate VP/Director of Athletics, Thomas Gilhooly. "We believe in Evan's faith. We believe in Evan's ability to manifest Magis. We believe in Evan's servant leadership. We believe in Evan. We're very excited to welcome him and his wife Brooke to the Regis Battalion."

Verbal's resume as an assistant coach is rivaled by his accomplishments as a student-athlete. He was inducted into the CCU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee in 2022 after a decorated collegiate career that included two RMAC championships in the 1,500-meter outdoor (2017) and the 3,000-meter indoor (2018). He would go on to become the school's first male track and field All-American in 2018 while competing in the Mile and 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Off the track, Verbal also excelled as a student. He graduated from CCU in 2018 with a 3.88 GPA and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration before going on to earn his Master's degree in Public Administration in 2020.

In addition to his coaching career, Verbal has remained active in the sport as a professional runner. He earned the opportunity to compete at the USA Track and Field Championship qualifier in 2020 and has been sponsored by Rabbit Running since March of 2023.

Verbal will now turn his attention toward rebuilding the Regis University cross country programs that are eager to make their own climb up the RMAC and South Central Region leaderboards.

"In my assessment of the Regis program, I think we have advantages that make success viable. Right now, we have: our Colorado location, a historically excellent distance running conference, high achieving student-athletes, and a department that is willing to rally around this team," Verbal said. "With additional focus on strategic recruiting and a positive team culture, I think this team can put themselves on the map of the RMAC and Division II. Improvement will take time, but I'm up for the task and so are the athletes we have here."

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