Auburn track and field Head Coach Ralph Spry announced the addition of Mark Carroll as cross country head coach Aug. 7.
Carroll came to the U.S. from Cork, Ireland, in 1991 as a student at Providence College in Providence, R.I. He competed in cross country and distance running in NCAA Division I.
He said he has been running since he was 12 years old. He specializes in the 5000- and 3000-meter.
After graduating from Providence College in 1995, he became a professional athlete until 2007. During those years, he competed in the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and the Athens Olympics in 2004 for his home country, Ireland.
Carroll said he chose Auburn because he saw strong potential with the existing team, which has had success in the NCAA in recent years.
He said his own athletic career was winding down, and Auburn seemed like a good package. Carroll said the location, the existing squad and the training grounds at Auburn were all factors that he considered when choosing Auburn.
Carroll said he will be working closely with Spry. Carroll said Spry has already created a solid foundation for cross country runners at Auburn, which he hopes to build upon.
Previously an international coach for the Athletic Association of Ireland, Carroll has coached approxiamtely six Irish international cross country athletes.
His wife, Amy Rudolph, is a successful distance runner who ran the 5000-meter for the U.S. in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and Sydney Olympics in 2000.
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