Head Coach Elaine
Rydze
Coach Rydze is in her 12th year as the
head men's and women's cross country coach. Rydze,
who joined the physical education faculty in the
fall of 1994, is also an assistant professor of physical
education.
Under Rydze's leadership, the cross country
program has continued to improve, with several meet
wins and numerous all-Iowa Conference runners. In
recent years, Coe has had national qualifiers, all-region
runners and Academic All-Americans. Rydze holds Level
I and Level II (endurance) certifications from USA
Track and Field.
A 1977 graduate of Michigan State University,
Rydze was a member of the intercollegiate track team
and a team captain. She was the 1976 Big Ten 440-yard
hurdle champion and runner-up in 1977, as well as
a member of the mile relay championship team. Rydze
competed in AIAW Nationals three times, placing fifth
as a member of the mile relay in 1977, and AAU Nationals
twice.
Prior to joining Coe, Rydze had a successful
coaching career at Iowa City Regina High School for
nine years, producing two state runner-up teams.
She coached state champions in the 100-meter dash
and 100-meter hurdles.
Rydze's husband, Bob, is the diving coach
at the University of Iowa. They have three children.
Assistant Coach
Jim Cottingham
A lifelong runner, Jim Cottingham was
a cross country and track and field captain at the
University of Chicago, where he still ranks among
the all-time top 10 performers at 800 meters.
Following graduation, he continued competition
for nine years as a middle distance runner for the
University of Chicago Track Club. During this time
he also worked as the assistant coach of the University
of Chicago varsity team and the University of Chicago
Track Club. In this capacity he worked with track
and cross country athletes at all levels, including
beginners, collegiate cross country All-Americans,
elite post-collegiate athletics, and a few world
record holders.
Cottingham began coaching cross country
at Coe in 1995, where he is also a professor of physics
and a world-recognized researcher in the field of
acoustics. Coach Cottingham is also a former assistant
track coach at Coe and is the head boys' track and
field coach at West Branch High School.
Graduate Assistant
Coach Brian Flynn
As a Lynchburg College Hornet, Brian
Flynn played a prominent role on both the track and
the cross country teams.
Flynn was a 2003 National Qualifier on top of being
a two-time All-Region performer and a four-time All-Conference
runner in Cross Country. Flynn was also an impressive
distance runner on the Hornets track team, earning
five Old Dominion Athletic Conference individual
championships and 12 All-Conference titles.
By the time Flynn graduated from Lynchburg College
in 2005, he had been a member of eight conference
championship track teams and two conference championship
cross country teams.
This is Flynn’s first-year as a graduate assistant
coach for the Kohawk cross country teams.
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