SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga Director of Athletics Mike Roth announced that Jake Stewart has been hired as head coach of the women's cross country and track and field teams Friday.
 
Stewart arrives in Spokane after having spent the last six seasons as the men's cross country head coach at Illinois. In 2017, he was named the first Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach in the program's history. He was also an assistant on the Fighting Illini track and field staff, in charge of distance running. Stewart replaces Patty Ley who resigned from Gonzaga earlier this month.
 
"My family and I would like to thank Director of Athletics Mike Roth, Heather Gores and Pat Tyson for naming me the Head Women's Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at Gonzaga University," Stewart said. "Throughout my career, I have always viewed Gonzaga as a university that would be a tremendous place to work if ever given an opportunity and during the interviewing process that became apparent. The sport of Cross Country and Track and Field in the Northwest at the high school level is as good as anywhere in the country. I believe we will build off of the success Coach Ley had during her time at Gonzaga in the future, and the administration has shown a commitment to building the program. We are excited to get started on Aug. 7, and excited to get back in the Pacific Northwest."
 
Since arriving at Illinois in the fall of 2012, Stewart guided the Fighting Illini men's distance program back into the national picture. He led the Illini to its first cross country NCAA Championships appearance since 1986 in 2016, and assisted the men's track and field team in winning the 2015 Big Ten Outdoor Championship. Additionally, Stewart built stability in the distance program with back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes in 2015 and 2016.
 
"We are very excited to welcome Jake to Gonzaga," Associate Director of Athletics Heather Gores said. "He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our women's cross country and track and field programs, and he did an extraordinary job resurging Illinois cross country and distance running over the last six seasons. We are looking forward to the future of Gonzaga women's cross country and track and field under his direction."
 
"We are confident in Jake's ability to lead the women's cross country and track and field programs," Roth said. "We are thankful and grateful for Patty's contributions to our University, and we are excited for the future under Jake."
 
Inheriting a cross country program that had not finished better than sixth at Big Ten Championships since 1996, Stewart guided Illinois to a runner-up finish at the conference meet in 2015. Also that season, Stewart coached Dylan Lafond to the program's first All-America honor since 2007, while also tutoring Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jesse Reiser. In 2016, Stewart guided the Illini to its first NCAA Championships in 30 seasons where the team finished 23rd. Following that season, he was named the 2016 USTFCCA Midwest Region Cross Country Coach of the Year.
 
On the track, the Illinois distance group totaled four Big Ten individual titles and ten All-American finishes under Stewart. In 2017, Stewart coached Lafond to a Big Ten title in the steeplechase and Jon Davis to All-America honors in the 5K as a freshman. During the Illinois' Big Ten championship season in 2015, Stewart guided Joe McAsey (800m) and Lafond (steeplechase) to All-America honors.
 
Stewart's impact has extended onto the national stage, as he coached Lafond to a United States Olympic Trials appearance in the 3,000-meter steeplechase during the summer of 2016.
 
Prior to Illinois, Stewart made stops at Purdue and Lamar. At the helm of the Boilermakers, Stewart led the men's cross country team to its best finish since 2008 and recruited the first All-American in school history. During a three-year stint at Lamar, Stewart guided the program to back-to-back Southland cross country conference championships in 2009 and 2010, and was twice named Southland Conference Coach of the Year.
 
Prior to his tenure at Lamar, Stewart was the assistant coach for the Iona College. In his time with the Gaels, the men's cross country team finished runner-up in 2007 and 2008, the highest finish of any program in school history, while the women's team became the first female team in program history to qualify for national championships. Academically, the men's team was named the NCAA Division I All-Academic Team of the Year in 2006 and 2007.
 
During his time as an undergrad at Iona, Stewart helped the Gaels win four MAAC championships and finish in the top 10 each year. In addition, he was the captain of the squad in 2005, becoming the first walk-on in program history to achieve the feat.
 
Stewart's father, Joe, is a member of the Washington State High School Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame, after being the long time track and field and cross country head coach at Kelso High School.
 
Jake Stewart earned his Master's degree in Sports Administration from Concordia University in 2012, and his Bachelor of Science in English from Iona College in 2005. He and his wife Brandi, a native of Kennewick, Wash., have a son, Griffin.