ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Scott Love, track and cross country coach at Nazareth for the past nine years, has been named men's and women's cross country coach at LeMoyne College in Syracuse. Love will complete his assignment as Nazareth track coach for this spring, then assume his duties at LeMoyne in the fall.
Love started the programs at Nazareth in 2002 and has built the teams into contenders in the Empire 8 Conference and at the national level. Love guided the Golden Flyers to third-place finishes at the Empire 8 meet each of the last two years on the women's side and to a pair of top-five finishes on the men's side.
Individually, three members of his 2007 cross country teams (Jessica Brown, Brandon Epstein and Nick Stenuf) qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships, with one of the runners (Stenuf) returning to the national meet the following year and becoming the program's first All-American. Academically, both the men's and women's programs have earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors for having a team grade-point average above 3.0, which the women's team has accomplished for 14 consecutive semesters.
"I am very excited to be joining Le Moyne College and look forward to be working once again in the Syracuse running community where I began my coaching career," said Love. "At the same time, I wish to express how much I appreciate the wonderful and unique opportunity I was given by Nazareth College to begin and establish a collegiate cross country and track and field program. I will deeply miss the many fine athletes I coached over the past nine years, as well as my teaching and coaching colleagues."
"I really respect Scott Love's hard work and dedication to Nazareth over the past nine years," said Nazareth Athletic Director Pete Bothner. "He was faced with a difficult challenged in starting six programs from scratch and he did a great job. We wish him continued success at LeMoyne."
Love also had the distinction of coaching his daughter, Caitlin, in cross country and track at Nazareth. She graduated in 2007 with a degree in psychology and returned this season as an assistant coach for the indoor and outdoor track and field teams.
Love is deeply rooted in the Syracuse area as he holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Syracuse University and has coached successfully at both the scholastic and collegiate levels there. He resides in the Syracuse suburb of Jamesville with his wife, Judy.