CLARION’S MOONEY RETIRING AS CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK COACH
Pat Mooney, Clarion University’s long-time cross country and track and field coach, is retiring Dec. 31. A search is currently under way to fill his position.
“It just feels like the right time to retire,” Mooney said. “I want to be able to spend more time with my wife (Ginny), my daughter (Bridget), my son-in-law (Dave) and my grandchildren (Jared and Jemma). I have spent a great 10 ½ years at Clarion, and I am very thankful for the opportunity that I had. I want to thank Clarion University, the administration, including athletic director Bob Carlson, and my athletes for giving me the opportunity to work with them. I have had an excellent time here thanks to all of those people.”
Mooney had a very successful tenure as men’s and women’s cross country coach for 11 years (1994-2004) and as men’s and women’s track and field coach for 10 years (1995-2004).
“Pat has done a great job with our cross country and track programs,” Clarion athletic director Bob Carlson said. “He’s proven to be a mature leader on our coaching staff and with our student-athletes. He’s taken our programs to another level. He will be missed.”
All four teams saw improvement under Mooney.
The women’s cross country team went from near the bottom of the PSAC standings in Mooney’s first couple of seasons to consistent top six finishes in his final three including a school-best third-place showing in 2002. The team also had good success at the Regional level finishing in the top 10 eight times including a school-best second-place finish in 2002. That 2002 team also became the first in school history to qualify for the national meet finishing 20th in the nation.
“We have been very fortunate to be able to build the program to where it is today,” Mooney said. “What we have been able to do is to start thinking nationally. When I first got here, we were hoping to have five finishers. Now, every year we have a chance to qualify runners for the national meet. I believe I have left the program in a good position.”
The Golden Eagle women’s track and field team also saw great progress under Mooney jumping from a 14th-place finish his first year in 1995 to as high as sixth place twice (1999 and 2003) while finishing in the top eight four times.
The men’s programs also saw improvement under Mooney’s watch.
The cross country team moved up in the PSAC standings six times under Mooney including a tenure best 7th-place finish in 1999. The team has finished in the top 12 in the Region four times.
Meanwhile, the track and field team also had success finishing in the top 10 in the PSAC four times including a sixth-place finish in 1997, the best at Clarion in two decades.
Clarion has also seen some major individual accomplishments under Mooney’s watch including five track and field All-Americas and one cross country All-America.
“To be able to have athletes and teams compete at the national level is probably the pinnacle in terms of real achievement,” Mooney said. “I am very proud that we have been able to have All-Americas in the jumps, throws and on the track. That kind of diversity isn’t found at a lot of programs.”
Mooney’s teams not only saw success on the field of competition but also in the classroom earning numerous team and individual Academic All-America honors.
“I think every team takes of the philosophy of the head coach,” Mooney said. “My philosophy is that the first priority is what happens in the classroom. I am really proud of what my athletes and teams have done in the classroom. We have worked hard at that. It doesn’t happen by accident.”
Mooney also saw the birth of Clarion’s recognized men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams under his watch in the winter of 2002-2003.
Always looking for ways to improve his sport, Mooney served as president of the NCAA Division II Cross Country Coaches Association from 2003-2004.
Mooney also was instrumental in helping the coaches in the PSAC join APSCUF in 2002 working on the negotiating team that led to the first union contract for PSAC coaches.
A native of Turtle Creek and a 1965 graduate of Turtle Creek High School, Mooney was elected to the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame East Boro’s Chapter in 2000.
Mooney is a 1960 graduate of Slippery Rock University with a bachelor’s in Secondary Education – Math. At SRU, he earned four letters in cross country and three in track while captaining the cross country squad.
Pat taught at Penn Hills High School from 1961-66 and at McKeesport High from 1966-68 before going to Northfield where he stayed from 1968-94. While at Northfield, Mooney was the boys’ cross country coach from 1969-94 and the boys’ track and field coach from 1971-94. His team’s won 12 New England Prep School boys’ cross country championships and five track titles.
