Chris Huffins is coaching at Eastern Michigan

Courtesy Eastern Michigan University

Goodridge Announces Addition of Two Coaches
Chris Huffins, Steve Manz will join the staff
9/15/2010 3:07:58 PM
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Men's Track and Field and Cross Country Head Coach John Goodridge has announced the hiring of two new coaches to his staff.

Goodridge, who was named EMU's head men's track and field, in August, after serving for seven years as the assistant coach of the track and field team and the last nine years as head cross country coach, has named Chris Huffins and Steve Manz as assistants.

Huffins joins the EMU staff after an outstanding career as a track competitor and a strong background in intercollegiate coaching.

Huffins won a World Championship and Olympic Games Bronze Medal in the decathlon and formerly held the decathlon World Record in the 100 meters (10.22).

Huffins began his coaching experience as Goodridge's volunteer sprint/hurdle coach for two years during Goodridge's 15-year tenure as head track and field coach at Wake Forest University where Huffins coached Wake's first-ever ACC champion and NCAA qualifier in the 100 meters and 200 meters as well as an ACC championship 400-meter relay team. He has been USATF Athlete Advisory Board Chair and U.S. Olympic Development Decathlon Chair. He has coaching experience at Georgia Tech, Cal and Boise State. As a Recruiting Coordinator at Cal and Georgia Tech he had three top five ranked recruiting classes and one top 10 by Track and Field News magazine. He will coach sprints/hurdles/high jump and combined events and was well as serving as recruiting coordinator.

"I am very excited for our EMU track and field program for all the talents, experience, accomplishments and potential Chris Huffins brings to our athletes and program," Goodridge said.

Manz joins the EMU staff as the throwing-events coach. He is a former state of Michigan champion and record setter in the discus and also played on the Class B State Championship football team at Ogemaw Heights High School in West Branch, Mich. He was an All-American shot putter for Michigan State University where he also won their Big Ten Student-Athlete Award. He has coached collegiately at McNeese State, Ashland and Findlay where this past season he coached the NCAA Div. II National Champion in the discus. Steve has trained the past few summers in Hungary at their National Training Center with their legendary national hammer throws coach.

"Steve has been mentored by a group of outstanding world-class coaches and is establishing himself as one of the up and coming young throws coaches in the country so I am extremely pleased that he has joined our staff," Goodridge said.