Angel Announces Plans To Retire; UNC To Conduct National Search for Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach

5/4/2026 3:15:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Men's Indoor Track & Field, Men's Outdoor Track & Field, Women's Indoor Track & Field, Women's Outdoor Track & Field

Angel Concludes Successful Tenure At UNC

By: Elian Soto, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. - The University of Northern Colorado Athletics Department has announced it will conduct a national search for a new Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach. This follows the decision by current head coach Wayne Angel to retire after the completion of the Big Sky Conference Championships.

"We wish Coach Angel well on his pending retirement and thank him for his service to UNC over the past seven years," said Director of Athletics Darren Dunn. "We are committed to building a championship-caliber program that reflects our values as we begin the search process."

During Angel's time at Northern Colorado, the Bears have achieved many accomplishments. He guided student-athletes to four All-American honors and 17 individual Big Sky titles. Angel coached recent UNC standouts Jerome Campbell and Regina Mpigachai to multiple record-breaking performances. Campbell earned an appearance at World Athletics Indoor Championships and finished as the runner-up in the 60-meter hurdles in 2025. Mpigachai was selected to the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championship and was picked to represent Tanzinia at the World Cross Country Championships. Angel also led members of his teams to multiple conference championship performances and countless broken records during his tenure.

"I've decided to retire after the Big Sky Championships," said Angel. "This has been an incredibly meaningful experience, and I'm proud to what we've accomplished together. I am grateful for the opportunity and support from everyone involved and have full confidence that the team will continue to see success in the future".

The University will begin a comprehensive national search to identify the next leader of its cross country and track & field programs shortly. The search will focus on candidates who demonstrate a strong commitment to student-athlete success, competitive excellence, and program growth.

Information on the official application process will be announced at a later date following the approval of University officials.

For more information and updates on the search process, visit UNCBears.com or follow @UNC_Bears on social media.