Cross Country | 7/22/2009 1:51:17 PM

Methodist University director of athletics Bob McEvoy recently announced staff changes for the upcoming academic year.

Cross country head coach and men's basketball assistant Tim Ryerson will become the assistant men's basketball coach at Wayne State University. Duane Ross, the director of track and field and cross country and his staff will take over the cross country program with his assistant Bill Dunn serving as head coach.

"We wish Coach Ryerson well in his new assistant men's basketball position in Nebraska. He was an effective recruiter and integral part of Coach [David] Smith's staff over the last four years," McEvoy said.

Ryerson served on the men's basketball staff for the past four seasons while leading the cross country program for three years.

“I want to thank Coach Smith for helping to prepare me for this opportunity at Wayne State,” Ryerson said. “It's a bittersweet move for me as I am excited about the professional opportunity ahead, but it will be hard to leave a place I enjoyed so much. The colleagues and student-athletes I worked with made the experience that much better.”

Justin Pini, a volunteer assistant with the men's basketball program last season, will assume Ryerson's basketball duties.

Ross has spent the past two years as the head track and field coach and last year was named the director of track and field and cross country. With the addition of the cross country coaching duties, Ross has upgraded assistant Bill Dunn's duties to assistant cross country/distance coach and assistant Duane Flowers will serve as recruiting coordinator/assistant coach-multi-events. Rudolph Valentine will assist with the horizontal jumps.

"Coach Ross has done an outstanding job in taking the MU track program, especially our sprinters and jumpers, to national prominence over the last two years,” McEvoy noted. “His additional duties now in cross country will help with the development of our distance runners in both cross country and track."

Dunn has been an integral part of the track and field program working with the middle and long distance runners for the past two years. “Coach Dunn was the obvious choice to replace Coach Ryerson in the actual coaching of the cross country teams,” Ross said. “In two years with the program, Coach Dunn has shown his knowledge and passion for distance running.”

This past year, Dunn coached all of the middle and long distance runners to personal bests. Kristy Zeiler won the Mason Dixon Conference championship in the 1500 meters and broke school records in the 800 meters, mile run and 5000 meters.

Ross and his staff are excited about the future of both programs moving forward. “We have a very good recruiting class entering Methodist this fall,” Ross said. “Coach Ryerson left the cross country program in excellent shape and we look forward to contending for the USA South Conference Championships.”

While Ryerson moves on, Ross is confident his staff is in a position to continue to grow the program. “I would like to wish Coach Ryerson much success with his future endeavors,” Ross said. “As we move forward, I plan to grow this program at an astounding rate. I intend to make our cross country teams as competitive and successful as our track and field teams while ensuring the student-athletes are having a fun and enjoyable collegiate athletics experience.”

The cross country season is scheduled to begin Sept. 5 at the UNC-Pembroke Invitational with the season building to the USA South Conference Championship Nov. 7.