Cal State San Marcos Head Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track & Field coach
Torrey Olson announced the hiring of
Russell Dotson as the program's new Assistant Coach on Oct. 8, 2018.
"I am excited to welcome Coach Dotson to San Marcos," Olson said. "He brings a wealth of experience developing student-athletes, with particular expertise in the sprints and hurdles. The success of his student-athletes at Grandview Senior High School is a testament to his skill in helping his athletes improve and I know he will bring tremendous value to our student-athletes here. He also brings a lot of excitement for our sport and especially the team aspect of track & field. We are looking forward to Coach Dotson helping us move our track & field program forward as we work to climb the ranks within the CCAA and NCAA DII."
In his first season with the Cougars, Dotson helped the men's team earn a fifth-place finish at the 2019 CCAA Championships while women's squad took seventh.
Dotson came to CSUSM from Grandview Senior High School in Grandview, Missouri, where he was the Head Boys Track and Field Coach from spring 2016 until his departure for San Marcos. Dotson customized training plans for 80-plus student-athletes, managed the team budget and inventory, coordinated fundraising activities, hired and mentored new coaches, established a "We Over Me" team culture and regularly monitored and counseled student-athletes' academic and social welfare. Under his guidance the team won the Missouri Boys Class 4 State Championship in his first season as head coach while placing seventh and third in 2017 and 2018, respectively. During his time at Grandview, the Bulldogs won a total of seven state titles with the boys winning six and the girls recording one.
Prior to becoming the Head Boys Track and Field Coach, Dotson was an Assistant Track Coach at Grandview from 2010 to spring 2016. He designed and instructed all aspects of training for the 30-plus student-athletes involved in sprints, hurdles and relays. His boy's and girl's teams won the state championship multiple times while his girl's teams set three state records.
From spring 2008 to 2009, Dotson was the Assistant Track Coach at Hogan Prep Academy in Kansas City, Missouri. There, he was responsible for the practice routines of all sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers and mid-distance student-athletes.
Once a student-athlete himself, Dotson graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2007 with a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts. Dotson earned multiple honors with the Kangaroos including All-Conference honors in the 60-meter dash, the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, the 4x100-meter relay and the 4x400-meter relay. He helped his 4x100 team earn the Mid-Con Conference Championship while qualifying for the NCAA Regionals. He served as the track team captain and was a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative.
Before making his way to UMKC, Dotson was a student-athlete at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, from 2002 to 2004. There, he earned All-Conference honors in the 60-meter dash, the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, the 4x100-meter relay and the 4x400-meter relay. In addition to his conference honors, Dotson was a NAIA Indoor National Qualifier in the 200 and 4x400 relay and a NAIA Outdoor National Qualifier in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
Dotson received his NCACE Strength and Conditioning Certification from the USTFCCCA Track and Field Academy in 2017 and his Sprints, Hurdles and Relay Specialist Certification in 2012. He also received his USA Track & Field Level 1 Coaching Certification in 2007 and later earned his USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sports Performance Coaching Certification in 2011.
