Vigilante Resigns as UVa’s Director of Track and Field and Cross Country

Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 11/22/2011

Charlottesville, VA - Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage announced today Jason Vigilante has resigned as the Cavaliers' director of track and field and cross country.

"Jason Vigilante brought a high level of energy, competitiveness, and focus to our track and field/cross country programs," Littlepage said. "His development of national and conference champions is a true indicator of his coaching abilities.

"The job of a Division I head coach and director for track and field/cross country is complex and time consuming. There are multiple demands over the six sports that span the entire academic year, with diverse event disciplines in running, jumping and the throws. Coach Vigilante put everything into his work and for that work we are grateful.

"The position at UVa is an even more attractive position now as we approach the completion of Phase I improvements to our track facility. I am confident we will find a great leader for our programs."

"I am appreciative for the opportunity to have coached at such a great University and work with so many outstanding people," Vigilante said. "I am also excited for a chance to take a break. I have invested every ounce possible to help this program succeed and at this point I'm happy about what we were able to do. I wish the cross country and track and field teams continued success and will remain a loyal supporter of the UVa athletics department."

Vigilante joined the Virginia staff in August of 2008. In his first year the Cavalier men captured the 2008 ACC Cross Country Championship and were co-champions at the 2009 ACC outdoor track and field meet, while the women's cross country team captured its first NCAA Southeast Regional title.

With all the success in his first year at UVa, Vigilante was named the ACC Men's Cross Country and the Men's Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, as well as the Southeast Region Women's Cross Country and Men's Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year.

In 2010 he coached Robby Andrews to the NCAA Indoor Championship in the 800 meters. It was the program's first NCAA individual title since 1989. In 2011 Andrews won the NCAA Outdoor Championship in the 800 meters.

This fall Vigilante guided the UVa women's cross country team to a 20th-place finish at the NCAAs after they captured their third NCAA Southeast Regional title in the past four years. Vigilante was honored as the regional women's cross country coach of the year for the second consecutive season.

Prior to Virginia, Vigilante spent nine years at the University of Texas. He was a volunteer coach for the women's cross country team in 1999. In 2000 he became an assistant coach for the men's track and field and men's cross country programs. In August of 2005, he was promoted to the position as Texas' head men's cross country coach and associate head men's track and field coach. His work with the Longhorn's middle distance and distance runners established his program as one of the best in the nation.

A native of Morristown, N.J., Vigilante graduated from NC State with a degree in psychology in 1996. He lettered three times with the Wolfpack and earned All-ACC cross country honors following his senior season.

Vigilante was an assistant coach at UNC Wilmington in 1997 when the Seahawks won their first Colonial Athletics Association outdoor conference title in school history. He then served as a graduate assistant for two seasons (1997-99) at NCSU. The Wolfpack men recorded back-to-back NCAA top-10 cross country finishes, collected two ACC Championships and produced three All-Americans during that time. The NCSU women also won back-to-back ACC cross country titles.