Bio

Austin Roark is in his third year as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country.

Roark has wasted little time building his Huntington resume. In 2023, the Foresters were named the USTFCCCA NAIA Fred Beile Women's Program of the Year for their 13th place finish at NAIA Cross Country Nationals, runner-up finish at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships and sixth place finish at outdoor nationals. His athletes have already claimed 32 All-American badges which includes seven individual national titles and one national relay title. 

Roark brought eight years of experience to the position as an assistant coach at Indiana Tech where he helped guide the Warriors to 11 NAIA National Championships. In addition to being a five-time USTFCCCA NAIA National Assistant Coach of the Year, he has also garnered ten USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region Assistant Coach of the Year praises.

During his tenure at Tech, he coached 12 national champions and 92 times his athletes earned NAIA All-American honors. His time at Tech also included coaching four athletes who competed at the USATF National Championships.

Prior to his stint at Indiana Tech, Roark spent four seasons coaching at Eastern Howard High School with his final two years serving as the head coach. Under his tutelage, he coached seven state qualifiers and an IHSAA state champion. In addition to his athletes breaking 11 school records and guiding his team to the program’s second-ever sectional championship in 2013, he was also an IATCCC Coach of the Year nominee.

Roark is a USATF Level II Jumps Certified Coach and Safe Sport Certified Coach. He holds an AAS in Occupational Therapy from Brown Mackie and BS in Organizational Leadership from Indiana Tech. He also recently earned his MBA from Indiana Tech.

Roark resides in Swayzee (Ind.) with his wife Kelly and kids Charli and Ripley.