Montreat College will have a new track and cross country coach this fall. Jose Larios has been hired to take over the existing cross country team and to build a track and field program at Montreat. Larios joins the Montreat College community after serving the last six years as the head coach for the track and cross country teams at Warner Southern College in Lake Wales, Florida.

Montreat’s Athletic Director, Jonathan Bennett, says "We are thrilled to add someone of Coach Larios’ experience and proven success to our institution. He will be an immediate asset to our staff and I have no doubts take our cross country and track programs to the highest level. I am even more excited about Coach Larios’ passionate commitment to Christ and how he views coaching as his ministry. We are truly blessed to have him at Montreat.

"Larios began his time at Warner Southern with six runners and grew the programs to include 82 student athletes. He produced two national champions, and two national champion runner-ups, 23 All-Americans, 92 All Conference athletes, six Cross Country Region Runners of the Year and three Track Athletes of the Year. In addition, he was named Coach of the Year a total of eight times for both Track and Cross Country in the NAIA’s Region XIV. He was also awarded the NAIA’s National Southeastern Region Coach of the Year in 2003 when Warner Southern finished 13th at the national meet.

Larios faces a similar set of circumstances at Montreat with only a few returning cross country runners and no track and field program at present. Larios sees a real opportunity to recruit athletes with potential who are looking for the Christ-centered education Montreat is committed to. He believes his ability to recognize any athlete’s strengths and needs allows him to shape a personal training regiment that will empower all his students to improve and realize their potential.

“I just walked into absolute heaven,” Coach Larios says. “We would have to drive an hour in Florida to find trails that aren’t even as good as what we have here on this campus. This is a great place to train.” He adds, “This is a great time to come on board. We have half a dozen returning runners and a wonderful nucleus of a team to build on. In these sports, if you’re good enough you can line up in the lane next to UNCA, Clemson, Tennessee or FSU. It really is about an individual’s ability to perform. When you see Montreat College toe to toe with programs like that, it will help students see that the size of the school doesn’t matter. In this sport, you can compete.”

Montreat College is a Christian liberal arts institution with its main campus for four-year traditional students in Montreat. The accelerated School of Professional and Adult Studies program has campuses in Asheville, Charlotte, and Black Mountain, with courses being taught in Cherokee, Murphy and other NC locations.

For more information,Please contact Michael Dechane,Public Relations Assistant at Montreat College at 828.669.8012 ext. 3778 or email: mdechane@montreat.edu