Redbird Track & Field Names Daniel Gooris Assistant Coach

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Jeff Bovee announced the hiring of Daniel Gooris as assistant coach for high jump and the multi-events Friday. Gooris joins the Redbird coaching staff after serving as an assistant coach at North Dakota State for the past four years.

"I'm very pleased to welcome Daniel and his family to Redbird country," said Bovee. "Coach Gooris comes to us with an excellent coaching record at North Dakota State, having coached multiple NCAA qualifiers and Summit League champions. As a collegiate athlete, he was a top level performer at UNI and has a rich athletic history in the MVC. I have no doubt that he will connect well with our recruits and current student-athletes."

In his time with the Bison, Gooris guided the men's multi-event and men's and women's pole vault groups to sustained success at the conference level and on the national stage. He coached nine Summit League Conference Champions and assisted in 41 Summit League All-Conference performances. He also led five student-athletes to the NCAA West Preliminary Round and two student-athletes to the USATF Junior Nationals. 

During the 2018 season, Gooris helped the Bison's men's team to their third-straight indoor Summit League title and their 10th outdoor conference championship in the past 11 years. The Bison's women's team also excelled, claiming their 11th-consecutive Summit League title on both the indoor and outdoor circuit, helping NDSU to the sweep.

Gooris' men's multi-athlete squad played an integral role in these championship victories. The Bison men finished 1-2-4-5 in the heptathlon for a total of 27 team points at the Summit League Indoor Championships, with every athlete capturing personal-best scores that rank in the top-10 in Bison history.

All four Bison decathletes once again finished with personal-best scores en route to a 1-2-4-6 finish at the Summit League Outdoor Championships. At the conclusion of the outdoor season, the Bison were ranked third in the decathlon on the USTFCCCA's Event Squad Rankings, averaging a score of 6,806 points. The Bison utilized strong performances in the high jump to receive these honors, with four of Gooris' men's multi-athletes clearing over 2.03m (6-08.00) during the 2017-18 season. 

In 2016 and 2017, the Bison men swept the top five places in the decathlon at the Summit League Outdoor Championships. Since Gooris arrived at NDSU in 2015, all eight conference titles in the men's multi-events were won by Bison.

While at NDSU, Gooris also coached a quartet of Bison women's pole vaulters into the NDSU all-time top five list. In addition, Gooris guided 10 Summit League place-winners in the men's 60-meter hurdles and 110-meter hurdles. He also helped Jerome Begin to the 110-meter hurdles school record (13.78) in 2016.

Prior to his time at NDSU, Gooris served as an assistant coach at Western Illinois University for the 2013-14 season and had also been a volunteer assistant at Columbus State University in 2014-15. In his coaching career, Gooris has directed athletes in the sprints, jumps (including the high jump), hurdles, pole vault, javelin, and multi-events. 

"I am extremely excited to be joining Coach Bovee and the Redbird Track and Field program," said Gooris. "Coach Bovee has created a powerhouse in the MVC over the past several years. I am looking forward to getting on campus and working with a staff and student-athletes that know what it takes to be champions."

Gooris competed in college for UNI, where he earned NCAA Division I Second Team All-American honors in the multi-events three times over the course of his career. He was a seven-time MVC Champion and 14-time All-Valley performer, still standing as one of the top multi-event athletes and pole vaulters in school history. Gooris also notched a third-place finish in the heptathlon at the 2014 USATF Indoor Championships.

Gooris graduated from UNI in 2013 with a major in exercise science and a minor in psychology. He and his wife, Krista, have one son, Silas. He will replace LaMar Garrett, and join the Redbirds for the start of the 2018-19 season.

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