WAVERLY, Iowa—Ryan Chapman has been named the new head men's and women's cross country and assistant track and field coach at Wartburg College, Athletic Director Rick Willis announced today.

Chapman replaces Steve Johnson, who will retire at the conclusion of the 2016 track and field season.

"I am excited for the opportunity to lead Wartburg's storied distance program," said Chapman. "Coach Johnson's dynamic tenure will serve as a tough act to follow, but I am ready for the challenge. I want to thank President Colson, Rick Willis and Marcus Newsom for their enthusiasm in bringing me into the Wartburg athletic family. While I will sincerely miss my colleagues, athletes, and friends at Aurora, I am eager to begin this next chapter of my coaching career."

Chapman comes to Wartburg from Aurora University in Aurora, Ill., where he served as the head men's and women's cross country and head indoor and outdoor men's and women's track and field coach for eight years. Last spring, he was named the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Midwest regional women's Coach of the Year. He's also earned 10 Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) men's conference Coach of the Year awards and 12 on the women's side in cross country and track combined.

Aurora has won 22 NACC championships and Chapman has coached 22 All-Americans during his tenure. The Spartans won the men's cross country title in 2012, 2013 and 2015; women's cross country championships in 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014; men's indoor track championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015; women's indoor track championships in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016; men's outdoor track championships in 2014 and 2015 and women's outdoor track championships in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

"Ryan built a highly successful program at Aurora through outstanding recruitment and consistent student-athlete development," Willis said. "With tremendous experiences at Washington University and Augustana College, he will be a great fit at Wartburg and is well prepared to build on the program's tradition of excellence."
Prior to Aurora, he spent three seasons at Washington University in St. Louis where he was an assistant coach for the cross country and track and field programs. He spent one season as a volunteer coach at Florida Atlantic University.

"Our number one focus in the hiring process was to be able to immediately build on our national level of excellence in our cross country programs," said Marcus Newsom, Wartburg's director of track and field and cross country. "The experience of hiring a candidate who could immediately come in and continue both a high level of recruiting and the development of our distance runners was our priority. Looking at what Ryan has accomplished at Aurora and the experiences of being an assistant at WashU and a student-athlete at Augustana, we really felt like he was the best fit for where we're at, but more importantly where we want to go."

In addition to coaching all cross country and track and field programs at Aurora, Chapman was an English professor, faculty adviser to the Athletics Department and served on the Athletic Academic Advisory Committee.

He is a member of the USTFCCCA and is a Level 1 certified coach.

The Eureka, Ill., native earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Augustana College in Rock Island in 2004 and a master's degree in creative writing from Washington University in 2007. He was a four-time letter winner as a member of the cross country and track and field teams.

Chapman will begin at Wartburg on July 1.