MISENHEIMER — Pfeiffer University’s athletic department announced Tuesday that it has brought back Bob Marchinko as coach of the school’s cross-country and track and field teams, a position that he had held at Pfeiffer from 2002 to 2005.
Earlier this month, coach Andrew Howard resigned from Pfeiffer’s head positions after six years with both teams to take a position leading the University of Virginia’s College at Wise’s inaugural cross-country and track and field teams in Division II.
Marchinko is now coming back to Pfeiffer after serving five years as an assistant coach with the Catawba College running programs where he helped nine players earn All-South Atlantic Conference awards and seven All-Region runners. His last season was the program’s most successful yet — the Catawba men’s team qualified for the NCAA Division II Championship for the first time in program history.
Between 2018 and 2022, 14 different Catawba indoor track athletes have been honored with all-conference awards.
During Marchinko’s first coaching stint in Misenheimer, he was named the CVAC Coach of the Year in 2002 as the Falcons’ men’s cross-country team won the CVAC title victory as well as the NCAA Division II Championship series.
At the high school level, Marchinko was been named the North Piedmont Women’s Cross-Country Coach of the Year in 2010 while at South Rowan High School and the 2014 South Piedmont Coach of the Year while at Carson High School.
Over the past six years, Pfeiffer cross-country and track and field student-athletes have recorded 30 new school records, and 15 players were named to the USA South All-Academic team last season.