BRIGHT TO LEAD PLNU CROSS COUNTRY AS HEAD COACH

SAN DIEGO – Landon Bright has been promoted to PLNU Cross Country Head Coach, effective immediately, Athletic Director Ethan Hamilton announced.

Bright, a PLNU alumnus, served as Associate Head Coach for both Point Loma Cross Country and Track & Field in 2021-22. Jerry Arvin will remain Track & Field Head Coach.

"We are excited to see Landon move into this expanded role leading our cross country program," Hamilton said. "He has done a great job and has been a great fit for our university and department. We are also thankful to have Jerry able to still give input yet be able to spend more time and give a greater focus to our track & field program."

During Bright's lone season as Associate Head Coach, the Sea Lions finished sixth in the PacWest in both women's cross country and track & field. PLNU competed in the NCAA West Regional in cross country, while several track & field athletes broke program records, recorded top-10 marks in program history or set personal bests.

"It's a great honor to be named the Cross Country Head Coach at PLNU," Bright said. "It is a program that has had a lot of success and stability over the years, so to be in a position to continue that tradition is a privilege.

"Over the last 30 years, Coach Arvin has put together a program that is known nationally to produce great students, athletes, and graduates and I hope to match what he was able to do. I would like to thank Ethan Hamilton and the entire athletic department for their guidance over the last year as I made the transition back
to PLNU."

Bright was a standout runner for the Sea Lions from 2005-09, earning NAIA All-American honors as a senior in both cross country and track & field (10,000 meters).

He then began a career in coaching, first as a graduate assistant at Hardin-Simmons University for two years before being hired as the first Cross Country Head Coach at Bob Jones University in 2013. He then became the first-ever Track & Field Head Coach at Bob Jones beginning in 2016.

In his eight years at the helm of the cross country program, Bright was named National Coach of the Year six times, leading the men's team to five-straight NCCAA championships and the women's squad to its first-ever national title in 2020. He coached 16 student-athletes to earn All-American honors.

"I am excited to have Landon now officially named as Cross Country Head Coach," Arvin said. "I have loved every one of my 28 years as Cross Country Head Coach and was very excited when we had a coaching vacancy that would allow for Landon to return to his alma mater to work with our track and cross country programs.

"After his first year, Coach Bright has shown great leadership and direction for our distance runners and I feel confident that he will keep our program at the top of the conference and region. With Coach Bright now in charge of the cross country program, I will still be able to assist him as needed while giving more attention to our entire track team. He was a pleasure to coach as an athlete and now it is enjoyable to work side-by-side."

Bright's first meet as head coach will be on Sep. 16, when PLNU Cross Country competes in the USD Invite at Mission Bay.