Eastern Illinois cross country coach
Erin Howarth has announced she is retiring from coaching the Panthers program as she moves into a new position in EIU's campus admissions department in the coming weeks.
"Thank you to Tom Michael and Mark Bonnstetter for a wonderful coaching career here at EIU and to Tom Akers for hiring me over 14 years ago, allowing me the opportunity to be a part of this amazing program with such a rich tradition of success," said Howarth. "Many thanks to Joe Franklin for taking a chance on me nearly 20 years ago with my first collegiate coaching job. I'm so grateful to my wonderful co-workers along the way who have mentored me and supported me. I've been blessed to coach so many student-athletes who have left an imprint on my heart; each and every one of them will always be special to me."
Howarth, EIU's cross country coach for the past 15 years, brought success to both the men's and women's programs winning seven OVC cross country championships including back-to-back men's and women's titles in 2022 and 2023. She was named the OVC Coach of the Year a total of eight times, four with the men's program and four with the women's program.
In total Howarth coached 86 All-OVC performers in cross country including individual champions Dustin Hatfield,
Adam Swanson and Lindsey Carlson. She had four OVC Runner of the Year winners, three OVC Freshman of the Year Award winners and three All-Region performers. In 2021 she coached Dustin Hatfield to an appearance in the NCAA National Championships.
As the distance coach for the Panthers track & field programs, Howarth was part of 23 OVC Indoor and Outdoor Championship teams with five of her runners earning OVC Track Athlete of the Year honors and two claiming OVC Freshman of the Year. She coached All-American performer
Adam Swanson in track with a 21st place finish at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor National Championships. All told Howarth's distance athletes set numerous school records and top ten marks in both cross country and distance events during her 15-year tenure.
"Coach Howarth has had an undeniable influence on the success of our program and the student athletes she has served," EIU Director of Track & Field James Gildon. "Coach Howarth has been exemplary in her leadership and we are deeply grateful for all that she has given to EIU. We wish Coach Howarth all the best as she embarks on a new chapter.
"Coach Howarth has run a successful program that is well respected among her peers both in the OVC and Midwest Region," said EIU Athletic Director Tom Michael. "Her student-athletes always represent EIU and the track / cross country programs with class having success both in their sport but also in the classroom and that is something I have appreciated as she has been the head coach during my entire tenure as EIU's Athletic Director."
A national search for Howarth's replacement will begin this week. She will remain with the program through the end of the academic semester with her last coaching event at the upcoming NCAA Midwest Regional on November 15 in Peoria, Illinois.
