John Guarino Hired as EMU Women's Assistant Track Coach

YPSILANTI, Mich. — Eastern Michigan women’s track and field coach Sue Parks has announced the hiring of John Guarino as assistant track and field coach. Guarino’s responsibilities will include coaching the sprinters and jumpers and he will also serve as the recruiting coordinator.

Guarino comes to EMU from the University of Central Florida where he coached four athletes in five events to the NCAA Regional meet as well as six different athletes to All-Conference USA honors including the 4x400-meter relay team in 2006. He also coached Ann Larsen, a three-time U.S. National qualifier in the high jump. He also coached four Atlantic Sun Conference Champions and 10 all-conference honorees in just one year.

Prior to his stint at UCF, he spent one year as a graduate assistant coach at Florida State. While there, he helped the development of the female sprinters and the men’s 800-meter athletes.

Before going to FSU, Guarino served as head coach at his alma mater, St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and led them to six consecutive state titles from 1998-2003. In 2000, the team was ranked second in the country and for his efforts he received the Florida Girl’s Track Coach of the Year award four times. While at St. Thomas Aquinas, he coached Sanya Richards, the junior American record holder in the 400-meters and an Olympic gold medalist in the 4x400-meter relay. Under Guarino, Richards had a personal high school best of 50.69 and won the silver medal at the 2002 World Junior Championships.

At St. Thomas, he coached four high school All-Americans, a national championship relay team (4x200-meters) and state champions in 11 different events. He also coached the boys and girls cross country teams and the Ultimate Flyers Track Club each of his years.

Guarino graduated from Florida State with a Master in Sports Administration in 2004 and a Bachelor’s of Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech. in 1993. While at Georgia Tech, he competed for two years as a 400 and 800-meter runner. He was a four year letter winner in track and field and cross country at St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

He holds a USA Track and Field Level II certification in sprints, hurdles, relays and jumps.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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