John Guarino - Women's Track & Field Coach - Eastern Michigan University Athletics

John Guarino

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
jguarino@emich.edu
Phone:
734.487.2250

For the 2010-11 campaign, Coach John Guarino is entering the his fourth season as an assistant for the women’s track and field program at Eastern Michigan University. His responsibilities include coaching the sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers, and he will also serve as the recruiting coordinator.

During the 2010 season, Guarino helped guide a slew of athletes to numerous successes, highlighted by a 1-2 Indoor MAC finish in the 60-meter dash by then-sophomore ReJeana Marigna and then-freshman Ashlee Abraham. Also under Guarino’s tutelage, his sprinters were able to capture Mid-American Conference Titles in both the 4x400 relay during the indoor season and the 4x100 relay during the outdoor season. Since his arrival at EMU, Guarino has had 14 of his athletes earn top-five finishes in MAC Championships, including Jasmine Gates (2nd in the High Jump at outdoor in 2009), Shantavia Williams (2nd at outdoor in the 400-meter in 2010), Asia Rawls (2nd at indoor in the 400-meter in 2010) and Rosie White (3rd at indoor in the long jump in 2010).

Guarino came to EMU from the University of Central Florida. While at UCF, he coached four athletes to the NCAA Regional meet in five different events. He also coached six different athletes to All-Conference USA honors, including the 4x400-meter relay team in 2006. In addition, 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 University. While there, he helped develop the female sprinters and the men’s 800-meter athletes en route to an Atlantic Coast Conference Championship.

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 Guarino 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 400 meter time 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 with a Bachelor’s of Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1993 and then went on to receive a Master of Sports Administration in 2004 from Florida State. 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.

John and his wife, Natasha, currently reside in Ypsilanti Township.