OMAHA, Neb. – University of Nebraska Omaha Director of Athletic Trev Alberts announced today that Chris Richardson has been named the new head coach of the track & field and cross country programs.  

Richardson, who has served as an assistant for the Mavericks for the previous seven seasons, takes over for Steve Smith who stepped down as head coach after eight seasons with the Mavericks for personal reasons.

“Chris has developed into an outstanding coach during his time at UNO, and the success of the athletes he works with speaks to that,” said Alberts.  “It is always gratifying when we can promote from within, and Chris has certainly earned the opportunity to lead both programs.”

Richardson has helped guide the Mavericks to some of the most successful years in the programs history with three conference championships and three top five NCAA finishes including a fourth-place finish at the 2010 indoor championships prior to the Mavericks' reclassification to Division I.  Most recently, he has coached multi-eventer Sami Spenner to five school records in indoor and outdoor track.  This past season, Spenner was named the Summit League's Field Championship MVP both indoors and outdoors and was the Summit's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.

“I'm grateful for the opportunity to lead the program and continue the success that Coach Smith and I have had over the past seven years,” said Richardson.  “My main goal is to ensure that our student-athletes have as many opportunities for success as possible in athletics as well as in the classroom.”
 
During his career with the Mavericks, Richardson has coached 21 conference champions, 15 All-Americans and two national champions.  His athletes have broken 13 school records including the 60m hurdles, 100m hurdles, pentathlon, heptathlon and discus as well as the indoor and outdoor shot put, high jump, long jump and triple jump.  In 2011, he was named the USTFCCCA South Central Regional Assistant Coach of the Year.

The Boulder, Colorado native attended the University of Nebraska where he was the 2004 Big 12 champion in the heptathlon.  He placed 12th at the NCAA championships despite suffering a hamstring injury in the second-to-last event in the multi-event competition.  Richardson was a two-time team captain, four-time letter winner, four-time selection to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team and 2004 Track and Field Lifter of the Year.  He finished the 2004 season ranked 18th in the United States and 58th in the world in the heptathlon.  He received his bachelor's degree in film and new media production at Nebraska and a master's degree in physical education at UNO.

The Mavericks also announced the hiring of Ryan Finley as a part-time assistant coach for sprints and jumps.  An Omaha native and graduate of Omaha North High School, Finley graduated from South Dakota in 2003 and earned his master's in athletic administration from USD in 2006.  He competed in track for the Coyotes from 1999-2003 and was a five-time Division II All-American and the 2001 North Central Regional Athlete of the Year.
 
From 2005-2006, Finley was an assistant coach at Mount Marty College in Yankton, S.D., coaching sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers including two NAIA national competitors.  From 2008-2013, he was an assistant coach at Omaha North, also coaching the sprints, hurdles and jumps.  He was a part of the 2010 and 2011 State Championship teams and 2012 State runner-up team, helping the school produce 24 state champions and six state records.