Ian Moini Promoted To Associate Head Coach Of M/W Cross Country
June 24, 2025 | Track & Field
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina track and field head coach Chris Miltenberg announced the promotion of Ian Moini to associate head coach of men's and women's cross country on Tuesday, June 24.
"I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take on this role at a place that means so much to me. It's a true honor to help lead our program as we continue to build something special here." Moini said. "Thank you to Bubba Cunningham, Dwight Hollier and Chris Miltenberg for their continued trust and guidance—I'm excited to chase big goals into the future."
In his fourth season coaching the Tar Heels, Moini has helped turn the program into one of the best distance running programs in the country, as the men's team has finished in the top five of the Program of the Year rankings by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in back to back years. The men's cross country team has finished in the top ten of the cross country NCAA Championships for three straight years and have also earned back-to-back top ten finishes at the indoor national championships.
"Ian is undoubtedly one of best young coaches in the country and I am so excited for him to continue growing in his role in our program," said Miltenberg. "Our success over the last four years is in huge part do to Ian's relentless work and all he brings to our team. We would not be where we are without him."
The 2023-24 season featured program wide success such as the Tar Heels winning their first Atlantic Coast Conference Cross Country Championship since 1985 and their first ACC Indoor Championship since 1996, while achieving their best finish, 5th place, at the NCAA Indoor Championships since 1973. Parker Wolfe won the first individual ACC Cross Country title since 1997.
Moini has directly coached four Tar Heels to 14 individual ACC championships and two individual national titles in the 3,000m and 5,000m.
His runners have made noise on the national stage as Ethan Strand and Parker Wolfe rewritten the NCAA record book. Strand became the first student athlete to set the NCAA record in the 3,000m and mile in the same season and has the second fastest 1,500m time in history while Wolfe has the eighth. Wolfe also has the second fastest 1,500m in NCAA history.
Moini has been the lead distance recruiting coordinator for the past three years, during which time Carolina has signed ten athletes who have earned Gatorade Cross Country or Track honors in their home states. In this year's class, Tommy Latham became the first prep runner from Georgia to run a sub-four-minute mile.
Players Mentioned
