AIKEN, S.C. – USCA, in conjunction with Director of Athletics Todd Wilkinson, is excited to announce the hiring of Jim Sprecher as the Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach.

With an extensive and successful coaching career spanning over three decades, Sprecher brings a wealth of experience and impressive credentials to the program.

"Coach Sprecher as the new head coach of Pacer Cross Country brings the program a proven transformational leader to move the program towards competitive excellence on a national level," Wilkinson said. "He is an outstanding coach that has been a winner at every stop during his decorated career. His accolades are matched by only a select few in the intercollegiate cross country, track, and field world. He will bring USCA big time credentials that include recruiting ability, runner development, and a culture of winning that is elite.

"Coach Sprecher is a man of character that builds a program checking all the leadership boxes," Wilkinson stated. "He will bring methods that have been proven to work in building competitive programs at previous stops that will soon be ingrained in our programs at USCA. The women and men runners in our program will work with a highly respected professional that can and will make them better. Pacer Cross Country is positioned for historic success going forward under Coach Sprecher's watch."

"Pacer Athletics has added a coach to our team that I know we will all learn from," Wilkinson said. "Coach Sprecher will make USCA across the board better!  This addition is big time for the Pacers!"  

"I have a passion for developing championship programs," Sprecher stated. "I believe that USCA has the resources to provide a championship experience to members of the cross country program. I want to develop a holistic culture of development. I recruit student-athletes that are the right fit for this culture.

"I would like to thank Chancellor Heimmermann, Director of Athletics Todd Wilkinson, and the rest of the search committee for providing this exciting opportunity to me. I literally look forward to hitting the ground running."

Sprecher comes to USCA from the University of Lynchburg where he was the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country. He developed national champions in the DMR and 1,500m. Sprecher produced 43 All-Americans, 128 National Qualifiers, 26 South/Southeast Award Winners and 440 NCAA Division III All-South/Southeast Region student-athletes.

While at Lynchburg, Sprecher had 78 ODAC Award Winners, 244 ODAC Championships and 677 All-ODAC performers. Sprecher coached 106 USTFCCCA Academic All-Americans, five CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and received two USTFCCCA National Awards. Sprecher had eight NCAA Division III National Championship Qualifying Teams, 19 nationally-ranked teams, four region championships, 25 ODAC team championships and 28 Academic All-America Teams. He picked up 15 ODAC Coach of the Year honors, was a four-time NCAA Division III South/Southeast Region Coach of the Year and was tabbed Virginia Coach of the Year 17 times.

Prior to his time at the University of Lynchburg, Sprecher spent over a decade at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. While there, he worked with one USATF National Championship Qualifier, three Division I All-Americans, one Division I Regional Athlete of the Year and five National Qualifiers. Sprecher coached 31 Academic All-Americans, had 24 Academic All-America Teams, five all-region performers, 107 region qualifiers, four IC4A/ECAC Championships and 75 All-East performers. His teams won five CAA titles, and he picked up five CAA Coach of the Year accolades. Sprecher coached 12 CAA Athlete of the Year honorees and had 89 individual CAA Champions to go along with six Penn Relays champions.

While working at Ball State, Sprecher coached four All-Americans, eight MAC Champions and six Academic All-Americans. During his first stint at UNCW as the head coach, he worked with two national qualifiers, 19 Penn Relays champions, three CAA team champions, 49 All-East performers, 37 CAA champions and 173 All-CAA athletes while earning four CAA Coach of the Year honors.

Sprecher also spent time at Arkansas College as the head coach, working with two NAIA National Qualifiers. During his time as an assistant coach, Sprecher worked at Louisiana Tech and Wayland Baptist. At Louisiana Tech, he coached three national qualifiers, won two American South Conference Championships and had eight American South Conference champions. Sprecher's time at Wayland Baptist saw him coach the Men's and Women's NAIA Indoor National Champions while working with the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor Most Valuable Athletes. His student-athletes won 17 NAIA National Championships, and he produced 37 NAIA All-Americans and one Drake Relays Most Valuable Athlete.

While as a graduate assistant at Baylor, Sprecher coached 10 All-Americans and eight Southwest Conference Champions. 

Sprecher earned his B.S. in Education, Physical Education and Health Science at Ball State and earned his M.S. in Sports Management from Baylor.

Other Accomplishments 

* Michael Johnson (Baylor University)
- 14 Olympic and World Championship Gold Medals
- Four World Records

* Raymond Pierre (Baylor University)
- 1987 World Championship Gold Medalist /Team USA/1600 Meter Relay

* Devon Morris (Wayland Baptist University)
- 1988 Olympic Silver Medalist/Team Jamaica/1600 Meter Relay

* Kenny Brokenburr (Wayland Baptist University)
- 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist/Team USA/400 Relay

* Terri Dendy (Post Collegiate)
- 1992 World Championship Gold Medalist/Team USA/1600 Relay

* Lynchburg
- First Lynchburg ODAC Top Scholar Athlete Award Winner (40 Years)
- First program in ODAC history to sweep all six championships in the same year (2021-22) - First program in ODAC to win both Cross Country Championships with perfect scores (2022) - First team to win South Region Women's Cross Country Championship (2022)
- Men finish #4 in National Program of the Year (2023-24)

* University of North Carolina Wilmington 
- First team to win CAA Championship in school history.

* Wayland Baptist University
- First and only team to sweep all six relays at the Drake Relays * Baylor University
- Fourth fastest collegiate 1600 Meter Relay in history

* USTFCCCA Executive Committee
- 2009-2015