RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Tech Director of Athletics Abby Davis has announced the hiring of Gabe Sams as the new head coach of the Golden Suns cross country/track and field programs. His appointment begins on July 19.
 
"We are really excited to have Gabe come aboard and lead our women's cross country/track and field programs," said Davis. "He is a rising coach in the sport and brings a lot of passion, skill and exciting energy. He was a competitive runner himself at the collegiate level and comes to us after being an assistant at one of the most successful programs in the country at Western Colorado."
 
A native of Broken Arrow, Sams began his collegiate running career at Emporia State University where he was one of the top runners on the team in both cross country and track. In spring 2018, Sams was all-conference in the 10,000-meter after he finished fourth at the MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
 
Following his time at Emporia, Sams transferred to Western Colorado University where he spent the 2021 and 2022 track seasons with the Mountaineers. In his final year, he would post collegiate bests in outdoor in both the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter events, running a 14:48.55 in the 5,000 and a 29:53.65 in the 10,000-meter.
 
This most-recent year, Sams transitioned into the coaching side at Western for both men's and women's programs in cross country in the fall and distance in the winter and spring for track. In his initial year in the coaching ranks, Sams became a certified USATF Cross Country Specialist.
 
In the cross country season, Sams helped lead the men's and women's teams to a pair of regular season event victories and top-five finishes at both the RMAC and South Central Regional Championships. At nationals, the women finished eighth while the men finished 11^th. The programs also had a trio of All-Americans.
 
In track, both the men's and women's programs finished fourth at the indoor RMAC Championships and were top-30 finishers at nationals. A total of five distance runners earned All-America honors in indoor track.
 
For outdoor season, the women finished second at the RMAC Championships and placed ninth at nationals. The men placed fifth at conference and 17^th at nationals. In terms of All-American athletes, both programs totaled 10 in distance events.
 
"I am thrilled to start this incredible journey as the head coach for cross country and track at Arkansas Tech," said Sams. "Being able to take the next step in my coaching career and become a head coach has been something I've been dreaming of for years - quite literally the dream job. I'm eager to lead and inspire these talented student-athletes, fostering their growth, passion, and determination. Together, we will strive for a positive and supportive team culture where every student-athlete gets the most out of themselves daily."