Mark Rinker - Cross Country Coach - University of North Carolina Athletics

Mark Rinker

Title:
Volunteer Assistant Coach (Distance)

Mark Rinker is in his second year with North Carolina as a volunteer assistant coach for cross country and distance events in 2020-21.

Prior to joining the Tar Heels, Rinker spent two seasons as an assistant coach for cross country and middle distance events at Louisiana State University from July 2017 until August 2019. During those two years, Rinker coached three student-athletes to All-America honors, 10 to All-SEC honors and nine into LSU’s all-time top-10 performance lists in six different events. He also helped four reach the NCAA East Regional competition in events ranging from 800 to 10,000 meters.

In cross country, the Tigers’ women’s program also earned its highest SEC finish in six years and its highest-ever regional finish under Rinker’s direction.

Before LSU, Rinker was pivotal to Northeastern’s success with the middle distance group, as well as recruiting, from 2014 to 2017. In three years with the Red and Black, 25 marks were added to the university's All-Time Performance Lists (top-10) while three student-athletes won IC4A individual championships and 13 were crowned New England Champions. He has also coached five student-athletes to new school records in the 800m and 1500m, including captain, All-America, CAA champion and sub-four-minute miler Paul Duffey.

In 2016, the men’s cross country team won its first New England Championship title in 44 years and also captured the men’s IC4A title that same season.

Rinker joined the Huskies in July 2014 after working as the Vice President of High Performance with ORRECO since May 2014. ORRECO provides leading sports teams and manufacturers with ground-breaking services through a global network of partner laboratories. In his post, Rinker was responsible for overseeing the expansion of ORRECO in North America, developing market and brand awareness in North America, and fostering relationships with clients and business partners. He was also an account manager for one year, where he established and managed the ORRECO office in the United States and managed all U.S. based accounts.

Prior to ORRECO, Rinker spent six years working as an assistant coach with the Oregon Track Club Elite, Nike's Professional Track and Field Team based in Eugene, Oregon. In that time, he worked directly with one silver medalist and five Olympic finalists from the 2012 Olympics in London, in addition to multiple medalists from both the 2011 and 2013 IAAF World Athletics Championships.

While with OTC Elite, Rinker was responsible for administering working for middle distance and distance athletes, overseeing the strength and conditioning program for distance athletes, assisting with oversight of the OTC Elite budget, and coordinating team scheduling and travel.

Rinker graduated from James Madison with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in 2008, and was a three-year letterwinner with the Dukes in cross country and track and field from 2005 to 2007.