Matthew Centrowitz

Matt Centrowitz

Alma Mater: University of Oregon '78 Position: Head Coach Experience: Ninth Season

With nearly 20 years of experience in cross country and track as a two-time Olympian, a collegiate All-American and a nationally renowned high school athlete, Matt Centrowitz is in his ninth year as the head coach of the cross country and track & field programs at American. Centrowitz is a three-time Patriot League Coach of the Year earning the award in men's and women's cross country in 2002 and in men's track and field in 2003.

Centrowitz has overseen the emergence of the American track and field program since its restoration in 1999. He has coached Sean O’Brien to two consecutive All-America honors in the 1500m. In 2001-02, Centrowitz’s athletes captured nine Patriot League titles in track and field, earned 17 All-League honors, two All-Region honors and one All-East award.

The team has performed well academically under Centrowitz as well. Frank Malpigli earned Patriot League Indoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors and was also named to the Verizion District II Academic All-America First Team. 20 Eagles earned a spot on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll in cross country while 23 of Centrowitz’s athletes made the track and field Academic Honor Roll.

Before arriving at American, Centrowitz served as an assistant coach at St. John’s University and was the cross country coach and assistant track coach at the New York Athletic Club, where he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

A 1978 graduate of the University of Oregon, Centrowitz helped the Ducks to the 1977 NCAA Cross Country Championship title. In 1976, he set the school record in the 1500m, running 3:36.7, breaking the previous mark of 3:38.1 held by Steve Prefontaine. Centrowitz’s time is still the second-fastest in school history.

Centrowitz was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in both 1976 and 1980. He went on to win a gold medal at the 1979 Pan-American Games and four consecutive national championships in the 5000m run from 1979-82. He also set the U.S. record in the 5000m in 1982 with a time of 13:12.91 and his time is currently the sixth-fastest ever run by an American.

As a high school student at Power Memorial High School in New York City, Centrowitz won state championship titles in the 800m, one mile and two mile events while becoming the first New Yorker to break nine minutes in the two mile run (8:56.00). He was ranked as the number one high school mile runner in the country in 1973, posting a time of 4:02.70, which was ninth all-time in the nation at the time. His 1500m time of 3:43.4 is fourth all-time and Centrowitz continues to hold the state record in the two events.

Since 1993, Centrowitz has served as the middle distance/distance track coach for the Reebok Enclave, placing him in charge of training the distance runners who tried out for the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic Team. He has coached three Olympians,

David Strang, John Trautman and Jen Rhines Mahow as well as 1993 U.S. 1500m Champion Bill Burke. In addition, Centrowitz has worked with eight other sub-four minute milers.

Inducted into the Oregon Hall of Fame in September of 2000 and a current member of the U.S. Olympic Development Committee, Centrowitz resides in Annapolis, Md., with his wife Beverly and their three children.