Report: One of the best coaches in CU Buffs history is out of a job

Mark Wetmore's legendary run in Boulder is over, the coach is out as head coach after nearly 30 years on the job

Jun 25, 2024, 11:16 AM Updated: 11:18 am

Photo by Paul Aiken/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images

Mark Wetmore’s legendary run in Boulder is over, the coach is out as head coach of the track and cross-country programs after nearly 30 years on the job—according to the Boulder Daily Camera.

Wetmore is the lone coach to win all four NCAA titles associated with his job at the same school—men’s and women’s teams and men’s and women’s individual. His squads have won eight national cross-country titles since 2000 and he has been named both the NCAA Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year and the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year three times each.

The Buffaloes women’s team won in 2000 while the men won the following year. Both teams captured the championship again in 2004 when CU became only the third school to win both championships in the same year. The men won again in 2006, 2013 and 2014 before the women recorded their third title in 2018. Wetmore has coached Adam Goucher (1998), Jorge Torres (2002) and Dathan Ritzenhein (2003) to men’s individual cross-country titles, while Kara Grgas-Wheeler won the 2000 women’s crown. Dani Jones became the fifth individual under Wetmore to earn an individual NCAA title in 2018. CU athletes have earned 139 All-American cross-country honors during his tenure.

Breaking #CUBuffs news. After a 30-plus year run marked by championships and All-Americans, the contract for longtime cross country/track coach Mark Wetmore will not be renewed. National search underway for a replacement. Will have updates @buffzone coming up.

— Pat Rooney (@prooney07) June 25, 2024

The University of Colorado did run an investigation into Wetmore and his programs in the fall of 2022, releasing data in the summer of 2023 that showed body composition testing on campus harmed a significant number of athletes. The 82-page report led the school to enact new guidelines about body composition testing.

Wetmore’s Buffs went on to unprecedented success at the professional and post-collegiate levels. Colorado grads are responsible for over 50 USA titles in cross country, track & field and road racing. Since 2000, 10 CU athletes or graduates have earned 19 U.S. Olympic Team berths at distances from 1,500 meters through the marathon.

Colorado will begin a search for a new coach to run their ultra-successful programs.