Staff Directory

Joe Catania is in his first season as Head Men's and Women's Cross Country coach at Southern Vermont College. Catania joins the Mountaineer staff with great expectations to rebuild the Cross Country Program. Catania's responsibilities also include being the compliance director for the athletic department and in 2009-10 the Head Track and Field Coach.

Catania has thirty-three years of coaching experience from the high school and collegiate level. Most recently Catania was the head cross country and assistant track and field coach at East Carolina University (ECU). While at ECU Catania coached the ECU men's team to its Highest ever finish, placing in the top five at the Conference USA Championship meet. The women's team also received Academic All-American honors as a unit both years. Before arriving at East Carolina, Catania coached a total of six years at Indiana State, where he served as the Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track and Field Coach. He also spent two years as the Cross Country Coach at Florida International University and two seasons as Assistant Track and Field Coach at Illinois State University.

Catania also has obtained many notable accomplishments as he has coached 98 Collegiate All-Conference performers in Track and Field and Cross Country. He has also coached 2004 Olympic Trial Qualifier Jason Briggs, eight former NFL players, 10 NCAA National Qualifiers, and three All-Americans. Catania has been named Coach of the Year seven times. In 1977 and 78 by the Ft. Lauderdale News/Sun Sentinel, 1984 he was named Division II Region Cross Country Coach of the Year, and in 1993, 95, 96, and 98 Catania was named the Region 8-A Cross Country Coach of the Year.

Catania served as a track and field official for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. He has also worked as an official for the NCAA National Championships, Pan American Games, USATF National Championships and the CARIFTA Games.  As a high school coach, he helped a combined total of 47 athletes and teams achieve state championship honors encompassing all the high school track and field events.

A native of Norristown, Pa., Catania ran track and cross country for Millersville University, while earning a bachelor's degree in Industrial Arts/Technology Education. Catania earned his Master of Science in Education from Nova University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in 1983.

Catania currently resides in Hoosick Falls, NY. For more information on the Southern Vermont College Men's and Women's Cross Country teams, contact Coach Catania at jcatania@svc.edu or call 802-447-4639.