According to women's head coach Sandy Ford-Centonze, Coogan's numerous accomplishments represent the "ultimate goal" for any track and field athlete.
"I am extremely excited to welcome [Coogan] to our staff," she said. "I am confident that he will bring his expertise, enthusiasm, drive and competitiveness to Dartmouth."
Coogan already has years of coaching experience, including a stint as an assistant coach at Ivy League rival Brown University from 1991-1992, which began his coaching career.
Most recently, Coogan spent the past year at Tufts University, where he trained All-Americans on both the men's and women's squads. He has also coached at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Phillips Exeter Academy.
Coogan was instrumental in helping the MIT women's team achieve its first NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship appearance in 2008. During each of Coogan's three years with the Engineers, the men's and women's teams won conference and individual titles.
As an undergraduate at the University of Maryland, Coogan set records in the 3,000-meter race and the 3,000-meter steeplechase, which remain Terrapin bests to this day. The steeplechase race requires athletes to leap over water jumps as well as normal barriers.
"We are really excited to have a coach with his experience," Dartmouth mid-distance runner Chrissy Supino '12 said. "Everyone on the team is very excited to meet with him and start building the athlete-coach relationship."
Last year, the women's cross country team had a strong showing at the New England Championships, placing third out of 49 teams. The Big Green struggled later on in the season, however, and finished in sixth at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships on Oct. 30.
Not only does Coogan's international running career provide him with a deep knowledge of training regimes, but he will also understand Dartmouth's unique academic pressures, acting Athletic Director Bob Ceplikas said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth.
"He has been coaching in highly selective academic environments," Ceplikas said. "He understands the demands on student-athletes' time and the need to achieve balance in their lives."
This balance between coaching experience and personal running achievement is unusual in a coach, Ceplikas said.
Both Ceplikas and Supino stressed that they expect to see the impact of the new assistant coach immediately because of his ideal combination of talents.
"[Coogan] has been to the Olympics and coached All-Americans at the D-II and D-III levels," Supino said. "We think he will help our cross country team to new heights with immediate success."
Coogan is currently in the process of completing a master's degree in sports coaching at the United States Sports Academy. He plans to complete the program by the end of the year, according to a statement released by the Dartmouth athletic department.
Ceplikas also noted that Coogan's younger brother, Tom Coogan '93 Tu '05, served as captain of the Big Green men's cross country team during his senior year at Dartmouth.
Amy Schuman '12 and Lizzie Short '12, both returning runners, will be major threats in Mark Coogan's arsenal this upcoming season.
Lauren Rosenbaum '11, the Big Green women's cross country team's sole rising senior, will lead the squad after four seniors graduated this spring.
Dartmouth will need to improve in order to knock off Princeton University this season. The Tigers swept the top five spots at Heps to run away with the Ivy title last year.
With the help of their new coach, the women's cross country team will recommence competition in September. The Fall season historically kicks off with the Dartmouth Invitational in Hanover.
Rosenbaum is a member of The Dartmouth Staff.
