St. John's University Athletics
Jim Hurt Retires from Coaching St. John’s Track & Field and Cross Country
5/17/2021 2:55:00 PM | Women's Track and Field
Long-time Red Storm head coach to retire at the conclusion of the 2020-21 academic year
QUEENS, N.Y. (May 17, 2021) – After a decorated 33 year career serving as head coach and 39th overall season with the St. John's track & field and cross country program, Jim Hurt announced his retirement from coaching on Monday. The longest tenured head coach in school history, Hurt's retirement is effective July 1, 2021.
"I have had the privilege and honor of coaching cross country, track & field for the past thirty-nine years," said Hurt. "I want to thank Mr. Kaiser & Duffy Mahoney for hiring me in 1982 and to all the great people in our athletic department. Any success we have had is due to the great assistant coaches and the tremendous student-athletes that has been my fortune to work with through the past thirty-nine years. Thanks so much to all!"
Hurt came to Queens as the cross country and assistant track & field coach in 1982 before being promoted to head coach of the track & field program in 1988.
He has led his teams to prominence on the national, regional, and conference levels. Hurt's athletes appeared in NCAA Championships for 29 consecutive years, in 17 USA National Championships, and five USA Olympic Trials while winning 36 Metropolitan Conference titles.
"It has been an honor to work with Coach Hurt in my time at St. John's," said Director of Athletics Mike Cragg. "He is a true professional, the ultimate care giver and an inspirational leader. All of the program's accomplishments during his time at the helm speak volumes to the positive impact he has had on our student-athletes and University as a whole. Coach Hurt will forever be a legendary figure in the history of St. John's Athletics."
Under Hurt's leadership, Red Storm teams finished second at the 1996 IC4A Cross Country Championships, second at the 1989, 1996, and 2016 ECAC Indoor Championships and second at the 1993 Cross Country ECAC Championships. St. John's has finished as the runner-up at four BIG EAST Championships and while producing hundreds of All-BIG EAST individual honors.
Since 1988, ten Red Storm athletes and coaches have appeared in five Olympic Games, 2016 (Rio de Janeiro), 2012 (London), 2004 (Athens), 2000 (Sydney) and 1996 (Atlanta). Twelve student-athletes have competed in five USA Olympic trials. Seventeen athletes and coaches have gone to fifteen World Championships in Sweden, Japan, Ireland, Poland, Canada, Spain, Doha, and the United States.
Hurt's athletes have participated in the World University Games (Spain), Commonwealth Games (England & Australia), Pan American Games (Argentina, Canada, Peru), CAC Games (Barbados & Guatemala), Asian Games (Singapore), and the Francophone Games (Africa).
Hurt's student-athletes have excelled in the classroom as well, consistently earning Academic All-American honors in cross country and track & field and a top 10% national ranking with 1000% APR ranking. His teams have posted a 3.50 & higher grade point average regularly and has one of the highest graduation rates in the nation.
Hurt has coached St. John's athletes to 18 individual national titles since 1988, producing 13 USA champions, two Irish national champions, a Jamaican national champion, a Dominican Republic national champion and a CAC champion. He has helped produced 23 NCAA All-American athletes in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track & field.
Most recently, Hurt led the Red Storm track & field team to three event titles and a third-place finish at the 2021 BIG EAST Outdoor Championships.
"I have had the privilege and honor of coaching cross country, track & field for the past thirty-nine years," said Hurt. "I want to thank Mr. Kaiser & Duffy Mahoney for hiring me in 1982 and to all the great people in our athletic department. Any success we have had is due to the great assistant coaches and the tremendous student-athletes that has been my fortune to work with through the past thirty-nine years. Thanks so much to all!"
Hurt came to Queens as the cross country and assistant track & field coach in 1982 before being promoted to head coach of the track & field program in 1988.
He has led his teams to prominence on the national, regional, and conference levels. Hurt's athletes appeared in NCAA Championships for 29 consecutive years, in 17 USA National Championships, and five USA Olympic Trials while winning 36 Metropolitan Conference titles.
"It has been an honor to work with Coach Hurt in my time at St. John's," said Director of Athletics Mike Cragg. "He is a true professional, the ultimate care giver and an inspirational leader. All of the program's accomplishments during his time at the helm speak volumes to the positive impact he has had on our student-athletes and University as a whole. Coach Hurt will forever be a legendary figure in the history of St. John's Athletics."
Under Hurt's leadership, Red Storm teams finished second at the 1996 IC4A Cross Country Championships, second at the 1989, 1996, and 2016 ECAC Indoor Championships and second at the 1993 Cross Country ECAC Championships. St. John's has finished as the runner-up at four BIG EAST Championships and while producing hundreds of All-BIG EAST individual honors.
Since 1988, ten Red Storm athletes and coaches have appeared in five Olympic Games, 2016 (Rio de Janeiro), 2012 (London), 2004 (Athens), 2000 (Sydney) and 1996 (Atlanta). Twelve student-athletes have competed in five USA Olympic trials. Seventeen athletes and coaches have gone to fifteen World Championships in Sweden, Japan, Ireland, Poland, Canada, Spain, Doha, and the United States.
Hurt's athletes have participated in the World University Games (Spain), Commonwealth Games (England & Australia), Pan American Games (Argentina, Canada, Peru), CAC Games (Barbados & Guatemala), Asian Games (Singapore), and the Francophone Games (Africa).
Hurt's student-athletes have excelled in the classroom as well, consistently earning Academic All-American honors in cross country and track & field and a top 10% national ranking with 1000% APR ranking. His teams have posted a 3.50 & higher grade point average regularly and has one of the highest graduation rates in the nation.
Hurt has coached St. John's athletes to 18 individual national titles since 1988, producing 13 USA champions, two Irish national champions, a Jamaican national champion, a Dominican Republic national champion and a CAC champion. He has helped produced 23 NCAA All-American athletes in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track & field.
Most recently, Hurt led the Red Storm track & field team to three event titles and a third-place finish at the 2021 BIG EAST Outdoor Championships.
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