Brian Stankiewicz, graduate of Saint Anselm College and two-time captain of Hawks Cross Country team, was named Interim head coach for the men’s and women’s teams in early August. The Crier sat down with the Merrimack, NH native to discuss his new position and how he is adjusting to his role at such a young age.

Stankiewicz majored in Accounting and minored in Criminal Justice while studying at Saint Anselm. He ran as a member of the Cross Country team in 24 races over the span of four years.

Upon graduation, Brian planned on applying for law school, but decided to work for a year and save up money to help offset the cost. He heard that the Cross Country team was looking for a head coach and he submitted his application, hoping to get the job.

Stankiewicz said he always wanted to get into coaching following his years as a student athlete. He was not sure the extent that the role of coaching would play in his life. However, the drive to lead has always been there. “To get into the game this early is great” he said. Stankiewicz plans to continue coaching as long as he can.

Coach Stankiewicz is happy with the way things have gone thus far this season. He noted that team morale has improved and everyone is invested in performing well.  He also said that both the men and women were beating teams they were expected to beat, while giving everyone else a run for their money.

The transition appears to have gone well for the recent graduate. Stankiewicz reflected that it has gone very smoothly, which he is pleased with. Fellow coaches have reached out to him and welcomed him to the program. His athletes have kept things very professional with their former captain.

Being so close in age to his runners, Stankiewicz has had no trouble relating to them. He is able to give help and advice regarding classes and school work and remarked, “It’s really important for the coach to connect with athletes outside of the sport.”

The hardest part of Stankiewicz’s transition has not been coaching or keeping his runners motivated, but the behind-the-scenes work. Brian said he saw glimpses of what coaching entails off the field over his past four years, but had no idea how much paperwork had to be done every month. He is still learning and adjusting.

When asked what the best part of the transition has been, Stankiewicz joked with a wide smile, “I can stay in shape.” He then remarked, “I love Saint A’s, and to work at the institution I went to and ran four years for is awesome.”

Stankiewicz has certainly done his homework. He remarked that he has been doing a lot of research on different workouts and drills that will help his runners reach the next step.

Coach Stankiewicz had only good things to say about his new position. For a guy who loves to run, it certainly seems like a good fit. He stated, “I love running, I’ve been running since I was in 8th grade.” Shortly after his interview, Stankiewicz was seen running with the field-liner on his way to mark off the trails for his athletes. Although he’s is no longer running competitively, Brian Stankiewicz certainly continues to move quickly.