Elliott Blount - Women's Track and Field Coach - St. John's University Athletics

Elliott Blount

Title:
Cross Country Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Email:
blounte@stjohns.edu

Elliott Blount is in his fourth season as head coach of the St. John’s cross country program following the retirement of Jim Hurt in the summer of 2021 and the subsequent promotion of director of track and field Aliann Pompey. In addition to his position of head coach, Blount serves as an assistant coach on the track and field staff.

Under Blount’s leadership, the Red Storm have seen the sustained success and growth of the cross country program. Blount has coached Johnnies to top 40 finishes in the 2021 and 2022 BIG EAST Cross Country Championships.

During the 2023 season, Blount coached the Johnnies to a number of personal-bests and the programs first ever Metropolitian Cross Country Championship.

“I am elated to have Elliott join our staff,” said Pompey. “He has a tremendous background both as an elite athlete and a coach. He’s achieved what our team aspires to and has coached athletes to conference titles and to the NCAAs. He understands what we are trying to achieve here at St. John’s and brings the tools to helps us get there. His previous stops have resulted in significant improvement in those programs. We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome him to Queens and are eager to start the year.”

Blount joined the Red Storm after spending seven seasons with Troy University as the program’s head cross country/middle distance coach. During his time in Alabama, the Trojans placed fourth at the Sun Belt Championships, the best finish in program history. Blount also led his athletes to a number of program records and conference titles, as well as a handful of NCAA South Regional Championship appearances.

Prior to joining the Trojans, Blount was an assistant coach at Columbia University, where he worked primarily with the Lions’ men’s middle-distance group. Blount, who helped to lead the cross-country team to three NCAA appearances, coached five All-Americans, 13 NCAA East regional qualifiers, 10 individual conference champions, 37 All-Ivy League selections and two Academic All-Americans during his four years in Morningside Heights.

Blount is not a newcomer to the BIG EAST, having been a nine-time letter winner at the University of Connecticut. As a Husky, he was highly decorated both at the conference and national level. The former NCAA All-American, six-time All-BIG EAST selection, eight-time All-New England selection was named the 2002 UConn Outstanding Student Athlete and the 2002 BIG EAST Indoor Outstanding Track Performer.

After graduating with a degree in sport marketing, Blount became a member of the Oregon Track Club Elite/Nike Farm Team, training in Eugene, Ore. for five years. He was a U.S. Olympic Trials semifinalist in the 800-meter in both 2004 and 2008 and a 12-time USA Track & Field Championships qualifier. He raced the European Circuit from 2005-2007 and finished in fifth place in the 800-meters at the 2006 USATF Indoor Championships.

A Long Island native, Blount is a sub-four-minute miler. He served as the assistant track & field coach in his hometown at Freeport High School, before being named the head coach of the boys’ cross-country team at Hempstead High School in 2009.