CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois track and field head coach Mike Turk announced the hiring of assistant coaches Jacob Cohen and Sarah Haveman, and director of operations Adrían Meléndez on Thursday. Joining current assistant coaches Jake Stewart, Adrian Wheatley and Randy Gillon, the three new staff members finalize Turk's 2017-18 coaching staff after Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced the reorganization of the track and field programs last November.
"I'm really excited to add people to our staff that have a very diverse skill set and high-level ability to perform their jobs, but I'm more excited about the kind of people we're adding, and the way they fit the culture of our program," said Head Coach Mike Turk. "I know that we're adding coaches and staff members that are reflective of the values of the institution — caring for student-athletes, doing things the right way, believing in the process of growth and improvement and the total student-athlete experience."
After spending one year under Coach Turk as a volunteer assistant, Jake Cohen will coach Illinois' horizontal and vertical jumps. This past season, Cohen guided Jonathan Wells to All-America honors during the indoor and outdoor season. Indoors, Wells twice broke the school record in the heptathlon and became the first Illini to advance and place in the event at NCAA Championships. Cohen again coached Wells to success outdoors, as the redshirt sophomore earned his first trip to NCAA Outdoor Championships, placing ninth, and advanced to NCAA West Prelims with a personal-record mark in the long jump.
"I'm really pleased to able to add Jake to our staff," said Coach Turk. "He worked really hard for us as a volunteer coach. He made a big commitment and was very dedicated over the past year. I think he's earned this opportunity not only through his coaching ability, but also through his loyalty. I know he'll be a great fit and benefit the student athletes in his event groups."
Before joining Turk's staff, Cohen was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech where he also specialized in the jumps. With the Bulldogs, Cohen guided his athletes to two Honorable Mention All-America honors, three conference individual crowns, 14 All-Conference USA accolades and 12 qualifying entries to NCAA Prelims. His biggest impact came in long jumper Jarvis Gotch, who recorded a career-best jump of 27'0.5" (8.24m) and ranked in the top-five of NCAA Division I in 2016. Cohen made stops at Lamar University and the University Miami before joining the Louisiana Tech staff.
Cohen has earned USTFCCCA Track and Field Academy Sprints and Jumps Specialist certification, USATF Level II certification in the jumps and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Cohen earned his Bachelor's Degree in human services, education and public policy from the University of Delaware in 2008. In 2009, he added a Master's Degree in sports administration from the University of Miami (Fla.).
The newest member of the Illinois coaching staff, Sarah Haveman comes to Illinois following a five-year stint at Dayton where she was promoted to Director of Track & Field and Cross Country in the spring of 2016 following three seasons as the cross country head coach. In her five years with the Flyers, Haveman led Dayton to a runner-up finish at 2016 A-10 Cross Country Championships and third place team finishes at both indoor and outdoor A-10 Track and Field Championships this season.
"Sarah is going to be a leader in our program, especially as we try to rebuild the women's distance program," Turk said of Haveman. "She's one of the really bright, top-level young coaches in the country that's primed to blossom in an environment where she has the resources available to do the things she's capable of doing. I know the outcomes will be on another level, especially knowing that she has background in the steeplechase as an athlete, I think it rounds in well with what we've been doing in our program."
After being picked to finish ninth in the conference during the preseason, Haveman led the women's cross country team to a runner-up finish at the 2016 A-10 Conference Championships, including freshman Chloe Flora earning the program's first A-10 Rookie Performer of the Year award.
After guiding Dayton to a fourth-place finish at A-10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2016, Haveman led the Flyers to a top-three finish at both the indoor and outdoor conference meets in 2017. At the outdoor meet, the Dayton distance team medaled in the 5,000m and 10,000m, and scored in the 3,000m steeplechase.
Prior to Dayton, Haveman served as an assistant coach at Purdue from 2011 to 2013 following her four-year career with the Boilermakers. As a senior in 2010, Haveman qualified for NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 3,000m steeplechase where she broke the school record to advance to the NCAA final.
An USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree and Purdue's 2010 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete, Haveman earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education. Haveman is also USTFCCCA certified in Strength and Conditioning.
Taking over as the Director of Operations for Illinois Track and Field will be Adrían Meléndez. Meléndez returns to the University of Illinois after spending seven seasons working with the Fighting Illini football program. From 2005-2007, Meléndez worked as the Head Athletic Trainer before transitioning to the Director of Football Operations, a position he held until January of 2012.
"I've been very impressed with Adrian's experiences, and it's a game changer for our program because we have a fairly young staff," said Turk of the new director of operations. "He's seen things in the sport, and in the industry of college athletics, that most of our other staff hasn't. But the thing that has impressed me the most with him is his focus is on what's best for the team, what's best for the student-athletes and the way he puts a focus on being of service to other people. He's great at what he does, and we're really fortunate to have someone like him on our staff."
Prior to coming to Illinois, Meléndez was the Head Athletic Trainer for the University of Florida football team from 1998 to 2005 where he was also the Manager of South End Zone Facility. Prior to the joining the football staff, Meléndez worked two years as the Athletic Trainer for the Men's and Women's Track and Field teams. In the summer of 1997, he worked as the physical therapist for two-time Olympic gold medal sprinter Donovan Bailey as he won gold in the 4x100m relay and silver in the 100m dash at the 1997 World Championships in Athens.
Meléndez received his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Texas Christian University in 1991 with a concentration in athletic training, biology and health studies. In 1996, Meléndez earned his Master's degree in Recreational Studies at the University of Florida while working as a graduate assistant athletic trainer for the football and track teams.
Coehn, Haveman and Meléndez will join returning assistant coaches Jake Stewart, Adrian Wheatley and Randy Gillon. Stewart and Wheatley continue under Coach Turk, while Gillon joins the staff following three seasons as Associate Head Coach of the women's team.
After leading the Illinois men's cross country team for five seasons, including the program's first NCAA Championships appearance in 30 years last season, Jake Stewart will now lead both the men's and women's programs. Since joining the Illinois staff in 2012, Stewart has coached 11 All-American performances, 35 NCAA Qualifiers and four Big Ten champions. This spring, Stewart guided freshman Jon Davis to All-America honors in the 5,000m and Dylan Lafond to a Big Ten title in the 3,000m steeplechase.
Through six seasons on Turk's staff, Adrian Wheatley has coached 23 All-Americans, including four relay teams, and 12 Big Ten Champions. This season, Wheatley coached David Kendziera to three All-America honors, including a bronze medal in the 110m hurdles last weekend. In route to the team's 2015 Big Ten Outdoor Championship, Wheatley coached seven-time All-American D.J. Zahn who won three Big Ten titles and was named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year following the season. Following the 2015 regular season, the United States Track and Cross Country Coaches Association named Wheatley 2015 Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
Randy Gillon joins Turk's staff after revitalizing the women's hurdles group. Now entering his fourth year with the program, Gillon coached Pedrya Seymour into one of the best Illinois women's track and field hurdlers of in program history, as the Seymour placed sixth at the 2016 Rio Olympics and has earned three All-America honors between the 60m- and 100m hurdles. In addition to Seymour's success, sophomore Jayla Stewart is coming off of back-to-back trips to NCAA West Prelims and has placed at the Big Ten meet three times. This past April, Stewart clocked the ninth-best time in Illinois history to win the 100m hurdles title at Drake Relays.
In November of 2016, Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced that the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics would reorganize the leadership structure of the men and women's track and field and cross country programs. Under the consolidated structure, Head Coach Mike Turk was named the head coach of both programs beginning in the summer of 2017.
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