COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's University's Tim Miles '76 announced his retirement as head coach of the Johnnies' cross country program on Wednesday, Aug. 9.

Miles stepped down from his role as track and field head coach in 2015 but has remained head coach of the cross country program in the years since. The search process for his replacement begins immediately.

"I consider myself the luckiest of the lucky, having been able to work with such wonderful people these past 44 years: my Saint John's co-workers and my coaching colleagues across the conference and the nation," Miles said. "But especially our Saint John's cross country and track and field athletes. The cream of the crop. Thank you to all.

"Now it is time to step back and let the next person have all this fun, and I am confident my successor will bring exceptional talent, knowledge and passion to the team. I very much look forward to following the team's fortunes this fall and beyond."

The 2022 cross country season was Miles' 44th as head coach. The team finished second out of 11 teams at the 2022 MIAC Championship and seventh at the NCAA Central Regional, its 37th top-eight finish in the last 41 regionals (going back to 1981). The Johnnies finished ninth in three of the other four seasons. Individually, the Johnnies collected 18 All-America performances during his tenure.

Miles' cross country program finished among the MIAC's top two squads in 25 of the 43 conference meets (no season in 2020 due to COVID-19), including nine MIAC titles (1981, 1982, 1983, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2006 and 2007). Twenty-two of his teams qualified for the national meet, with 17 recording top-15 finishes. Miles was a three-time MIAC Cross Country Coach of the Year (1997, 2006, 2007).

"Tim has not only been one of the greatest coaches in the history of Johnnie athletics, he is also one of finest people to grace our campus," SJU athletic director Bob Alpers '82 said. "We will all miss Tim. 

"The love and care for his student-athletes has been inspiring. On behalf of our SJU athletic community, and the thousands he has coached and mentored, congratulations Tim on an absolutely remarkable career. Saint John's is a better place because Tim Miles was here."

He produced a winning track and field program that finished among the MIAC's top two squads in 23 of the 36 seasons, including outdoor conference championships in 1997, 1999, 2005, 2007 and 2011. Miles won MIAC Outdoor Coach of the Year honors six times (1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011). Thirty-eight Johnnies won conference titles at the MIAC indoor meet and collected 94 titles outdoors. At the national level, Miles' athletes put together 61 NCAA Division III All-America performances.

SJU's track within Clemens Stadium was dedicated to Miles in May 2019.

As an athlete at Saint John's, Miles was an All-MIAC performer in cross country and the MIAC six-mile run champion and steeplechase runner-up on the track as a senior in 1976. Miles returned to Saint John's in 1979 as head coach of the cross country and track and field programs after earning his master's degree in forestry from the University of Minnesota.