SCOTT ABBOTT NAMED HEAD CROSS COUNTRY COACH

9/12/2007

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Former Jesuit High School and UCLA standout Scott Abbott has been hired as Sacramento State cross country coach, it was announced today by Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Kathleen Raske. Abbott's first duties will be to coach the team in this weekend’s Hornet Jamboree at Granite Regional Park. He will also serve as the school’s distance coach during the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons.

“We’re extremely happy to have someone of Scott’s ability join our staff,” Raske said. “He brings recruiting and coaching experience at the highest level to our program. He also is a Sacramento native who has established relationships in the community. He’s just a great fit.”

Abbott most recently spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant at UCLA. With the Bruins, UCLA produced back-to-back top-ranked recruiting classes and advanced to its first NCAA national championship appearance in 23 years. Abbott was also responsible for home meet management, travel, equipment and academic services for the cross country team.

Prior to returning to his alma mater, Abbott was an assistant cross country coach at Jesuit High School in Sacramento from 2002-05. During his tenure, the Marauders won California state titles in 2002 and 2005. He also spent one year as the head coach at Bend High School in Bend, Ore., where the team won the Oregon state crown in 2001. Abbott also served on the United State Olympic Committee Coaching Division in 1999.

As a student-athlete at UCLA, Abbott served as a team captain for the 1999 and 2000 seasons, and was a three-time Pac-10 all-academic team member and two-time UCLA Track Student-Athlete of the Year.

Abbott prepped at Jesuit where he teamed with future Olympian Michael Stember to lead the team to three California State Team championships. As a senior, he was named all-state and all-west in 1995.

Away from the track, Abbott has served as the associate director of Champions Athletics since 2000. In that role, he developed, promoted and marketed clinics and camps for distance coaches and athletes.

Abbott graduated from UCLA in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. He also earned magna cum laude. He added a master’s degree in sports management from the University of San Francisco in 2007. His thesis focused on NCAA track & field reform.

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