VanHootegem Resigns, Langford Assumes Interim Leadership

NORMAN, Okla. – Jim VanHootegem, the head coach for Oklahoma's men's and women's track and field and cross country for the last six years, is resigning his position effective immediately to pursue other opportunities. He will be replaced on an interim basis by Tim Langford, the former head coach at South Carolina State, who was recently named an assistant coach at OU.

"We are grateful for Jim's devotion and contribution to our track and field and cross country programs," said OU Vice President and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione. "We certainly wish the best for Jim and his family.

"Tim Langford is a bright coach, who has been successful in leading a program," Castiglione continued. "We're fortunate to have someone with his background in a position to assume the leadership role for us, and we're anxious to assist him any way we can."

At SCSU, Langford helped the Bulldogs produce four NCAA indoor and outdoor All-Americans, 28 regional qualifiers and one NCAA indoor national champion in Tyrell Richard in the 400 meters in 2019. Additionally, he served as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference track coaches' committee vice chair.

"I am extremely honored and grateful to Joe Castiglione and his administration for granting me this opportunity," said Langford. "Coach VanHootegem has provided outstanding leadership for this program and staff over his tenure. He will surely be missed.

"The staff and I are prepared and focused on guiding our current student-athletes to success in the principles of Sooner Magic. We are reaffirming our commitment to recruiting, developing and graduating the best student-athletes in the NCAA."

A 2000 graduate of Radford University, Langford was an all-conference honoree for Radford in the high jump, triple jump, long jump and 4x100- and 4x400-meter relays, as well as a back-to-back Big South conference champion in the high jump in 1998-99.

Following his successful collegiate career, Langford joined the coaching ranks and made stops at High Point University and Charleston Southern. As head men's track and field and cross country coach at Charleston Southern, Langford helped develop nine NCAA Championship qualifiers, three All-Americans and collected four Big South track Coach of the Year honors.

VanHootegem (pronounced van-OTT-eh-ghem) and his staff led 83 student-athletes from multiple events to the NCAA Championships. Most recently, the Sooners finished the 2019 outdoor season with seven indoor and outdoor All-Americans, one of which was a first-teamer.

Sixty-two Sooners have garnered All-America honors during Coach VanHootegem's tenure. Additionally, 19 Sooners have set indoor or outdoor school records the past six seasons. Under VanHootegem, 28 Sooners won Big 12 individual or relay titles. Most recently, Sarah Scott won her second consecutive outdoor title in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase. On her way to the first title in 2018, Scott broke the school record in the event with a time of 9:56.17. Additionally, in 2018, freshman Vernon Turner took home the conference crown in the outdoor men's high jump, leaping a school-record 7-5.75 feet (2.28 meters).

A total of 58 student-athletes earned All-Academic honors from the United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association in track and field and seven picked up similar awards in cross country. Sixteen teams earned academic honors from the USTFCCCA, while a total of 166 student-athletes received Academic All-Big 12 awards in track and field and 60 in cross country.

"After 29 years in NCAA track and field, I feel it is a good time to step away," VanHootegem said. "Track and field will always be home base for me, but I'd like to take some time to work in private coaching where I can share what we do in our sport with athletes and coaches across a variety of sports.

"I'd like to thank Joe Castiglione, Dr. Nicki Moore and Zac Selmon for the chance to lead a program at a university with the national reputation that OU has earned. I'm proud of many of the results we have achieved, particularly this past year when both our men's and women's teams posted the highest cumulative grade point averages in school history. However, the biggest part for me has always been seeing personal growth in the individual student-athlete."