PORTLAND, Ore. — A familiar face will return to the Park Blocks to lead the Portland State cross country and track & field programs. Jonathan Marcus, an assistant coach with the Vikings from 2012 to 2015, has been named head coach of both programs, Portland State Director of Athletics John Johnson announced Monday.
 
Marcus helped kickstart the Vikings' resurgence in the distance events in recent years. Marcus led Sarah Dean to All-Big Sky honors at the 2013 Big Sky Cross Country Championships, making Dean the program's first All-Big Sky runner since 1999 at the time. Additionally, the 2014 women's cross country team recorded the program's highest finish within the Big Sky Conference, relative to the size of the field, at the time with a sixth-place finish at that year's conference meet.
 
On the track, Marcus led Dean to a conference title in the outdoor 1,500 meters at the 2014 Big Sky Championships, while Dean (10,000m), Bianca Martin (1,500m), Camelia Mayfield (10,000m, x2) and Amber Rozcicha (1,500m) all qualified for the NCAA West Prelims during Marcus' tenure. Dean, Martin and Rozcicha still rank 1-2-3 in the all-time rankings in the women's outdoor 1,500 meters, having traded off the school record between each other over the 2013 and 2014 seasons. All told, Marcus' athletes set school records in six different events during his tenure between the women's indoor mile, 3k and 5k; men's indoor 3k and DMR; and women's outdoor 1,500m.
 
"We're happy to welcome Jonathan back to Portland State," Johnson said of Marcus' hire. "He served the Vikings well in his previous stop on the Park Blocks, and we are excited for him to do so again as our new head coach. During the interview process, we were impressed with his devotion to coaching and commitment to providing a first-rate student-athlete experience. He's been endorsed by several highly respected coaches in the sport who have led athletes to NCAA and U.S. titles, as well as Olympic and World Championship medals."
 
Marcus founded High Performance West, a Portland-based running group of sub-elite and elite middle distance runners, after his time at Portland State. In that role from 2015 to 2020, Marcus helped lead Tara Welling (women's 5k & 10k) and McKayla Fricker (women's 800m) to qualifying marks for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. Eleanor Fulton also twice placed in the top five at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships between a fifth-place finish in 2017 and a fourth-place finish in 2019.
 
Since 2018, Marcus has run High Performance Growth, LLC, which has 600+ active members subscribing to online educational courses and content related to track & field and running. He's also served as an assistant coach at Catlin Gabel since 2020 where Marcus helped lead the boys team to OSAA 3A state titles in 2021 and 2022. Marcus' distance runners contributed to both trophies between back-to-back individual titles in the boys 800m (Eli Foster in 2021; Mike Hart in 2022), and fourth-place finishes in the 1,500m and 3k by Evan Williams (now at Pomona-Pitzer) in 2022. The Catlin Gabel girls team placed fifth at the 2022 OSAA 3A state meet behind two individual titles in the 1,500m and 3k from Megan Cover (now at Occidental College).
 
"John Johnson and I share a common vision about the future of the Portland State cross country and track & field programs. I'd like to thank him, Matt Billings, and members of the search committee for selecting me to ensure that vision becomes reality. It's a wonderful opportunity and privilege to return to the Park Blocks and write the next chapter for the program," Marcus said.
 
"I can't wait to get to know the incredible student-athletes at Portland State University and recruit future student-athletes of high character and ability to the Park Blocks. I'm ready to work in partnership with campus, city, and community stakeholders to develop PSU XC/Track into a winning program that the PSU student body, staff, faculty, alumni, boosters and greater Portland XC/Track community are excited to cheer on and support."
 
Other stops in Marcus' coaching career include serving as a volunteer assistant coach with the Bowerman Track Club pro team from 2010-15. He also served as head coach of the Jacuzzi Boys Athletic Club and Team Athena Running Club from 2014-15, as well as the Run Portland Running Club from 2010-14. As a high performance meet director, Marcus has led meets at the Portland Track Festival and Stumptown Twilight from 2010-20, the Hoka One One Adrian Martinez High Performance Classic from 2014-19, and the USATF Middle Distance High Performance Classic from 2011-19.
 
Marcus remains connected to the broader running community within Portland and the state of Oregon. Outside of coaching, Marcus served as USATF event chair for men's middle and long distance development from 2012-20. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Oregon Association of the USATF from 2010-15.
 
 
What Others Are Saying
 
Jerry Schumacher, Head Coach at the University of Oregon and Bowerman Track Club
"I've known Jonathan for a long time. He is hard-working, knowledgeable, and passionate about the sport. His roots are in the city of Portland, and he cares deeply about the student-athletes he works with. I'm excited to see him lead this program into the future."
 
Mike Smith, Head Coach at Northern Arizona University
"Portland State made a great hire with Jonathan Marcus. He's an innovative coach who is passionate about helping others. The bar was just raised in the Big Sky."
 
Rob Conner, Head Coach at the University of Portland
"I am very excited for coach Marcus to get this opportunity. He is a good friend and excellent coach. Very few people in our sport have the scope of knowledge that Jonathan has. We look forward to continuing our partnership with PSU in scheduling fun, creative and competitive events for all of our student-athletes to enjoy in the near future."