Dillon Yearby was hired as the track, field and cross country team’s director of operations on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024.
Yearby comes to Illinois after spending the past two seasons (2022-24) at Florida State University in the same role. He also served as the meet coordinator for the 2023 ACC Cross Country Championships
Before FSU, Yearby became the assistant director of operations in the Notre Dame track, field and cross country program in the fall of 2021. He was then promoted to the interim director of operations in the spring of 2022. He served as the assistant meet director for the ACC Cross Country Championships in 2021 and the meet director for the 2022 Meyo Invitational track and field meet.
In 2019-20, Yearby helped the University of Southern Indiana to a pair of GLVC Cross Country titles, while both the men's and women's teams earned spots at the 2019 NCAA II Championships. He also had a hand in USI's successful hosting of both the GLVC and NCAA II Midwest Region Championship meets in 2019.
Prior to USI, he spent time with the University of Mary Marauders (2017-19). Yearby helped UMary's women's cross country team to back-to-back Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference titles, two straight NCAA II Central Region championships and back-to-back second-place finishes at the NCAA II National Championships.
UMary, which produced eight All-America awards in women's cross country during his time as a graduate assistant, also saw success on the track during his two years in Bismarck. Yearby assisted in coaching a national champion in the 5,000 meters as well as a runner-up in the 3,000 meters, while UMary's women finished fourth at the NCAA II Indoor Championships in 2018.
The men's program at UMary enjoyed success as well during Yearby's time with the Marauders, with several competitors earning All-Conference accolades.
During Yearby's time as a student assistant at USI, the Eagles' men and women's cross country teams captured Great Lakes Valley Conference titles in 2014, 2015 and 2016. USI also had several competitors earn All-America honors on the cross country course and the track during Yearby's time as an undergraduate, with the Eagles' men capturing three individual national championships on the track.
Yearby earned his bachelor's degree in sport management with a focus on intercollegiate athletics from USI in 2016. He earned his master's degree in business administration from UMary in 2019.
A native of Chrisney, Indiana, Yearby has spent most of his life in the Southern Indiana area. He is a 2011 graduate of Heritage Hills High School, where he participated in cross country and track & field.
