GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Former Tusculum College cross
country coach Dr. Jim Fields will return to guide
the Pioneer harrier program announced Director of Athletics
Frankie DeBusk.
Fields served as head coach of the Tusculum cross country program
for five seasons (2000-04) as his runners garnered All-South
Atlantic Conference honors 11 times, including two SAC Freshman
Runners of the Year and the 2003 SAC Female Runner of the Year. The
Tusculum women's program recorded three third place finishes in the
conference (2001, 2002, 2003), while the men's squad posted a sixth
place showing at the 2003 SAC Championship.
Fields was responsible for bringing in two of the best cross
country runners in the history of program in All-Region harriers
Amanda Musick and Sue Lewis. In 2001, Musick and Lewis became the
first Tusculum student-athletes to compete at a NCAA Division II
national championship event.
Musick advanced to the NCAA National Championship three times in
her career (2001, 2003, 2004), while also earning All-Region
distinction an amazing four times. In 2003, she was the SAC Runner
of the Year as she won a remarkable five events that season. She
still holds the school record with 10 individual titles.
During Fields' tenure as cross country coach, the Pioneers
captured eight team championships and 14 individual titles.
"I'm very happy to have Coach Fields back with us at the helm of
our cross country teams," said DeBusk. "He is committed to making
Tusculum one of the premier cross country programs in the South
Atlantic Conference and I look forward to working with him once
again."
He also mentored two-time All-SAC runner Ross Lewis (2002, 2003).
Lewis posted some of the best 8K times in school history, including
his personnel best 27:08 at the 2003 SAC Championship. Lewis
recorded three individual title wins, while guiding the team to a
pair of meet championships.
"I'm excited about returning to coach at Tusculum," said Fields.
"Working with college cross country runners is extremely rewarding
because of their self discipline and goal setting. I have always
enjoyed interacting with the runners and seeing their continued
improvement as runners, students, and human beings."
From 1996-98, he served as Director of Athletics at Tusculum. He
ushered in an era of growth for the Pioneer athletics program.
Under his watch, Tusculum achieved NCAA Division II membership,
opened the new Pioneer Arena, while completing TC's initial steps
for admission to the South Atlantic Conference.
He also served as the College's Faculty Athletics Representative
during the 1995-96 year before assuming the athletic director's
post.
Following high school, the Spring Grove, Va. native served three
years in the U.S. Navy, specializing in communications. After the
Navy, he attended Virginia Tech where he earns his Bachelor's
degree in Agricultural Education in 1972. He later earned his
Master's from Virginia State in 1977 and an Ed.D from East
Tennessee State University in Educational Leadership and Policy
Analysis in 1993.
Fields replaces Phil Roberts, who served as Tusculum cross country
coach from 2005 to this past fall.
Coach Fields is married to the former Gayle Gilliam of Greeneville
and they have two grown children, Kenneth and Melody. They are also
the proud grandparents of two grandsons, Kenton (3) and Kade, who
was born this past November.
Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn. is a affiliated
with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division
JIM FIELDS NAMED CROSS COUNTRY COACH
Posted: Jan 14, 2009