Matt Girardin Hired as Men's Track & Field Assistant at Louisville
California native will coach Cardinals in sprints, hurdles and jumps

LOUISVILLE, Ky. * University of Louisville men's track and field coach Gene Weis announced the hiring of Matt Girardin as an assistant coach. He will primarily coach the Cardinals in the sprints, hurdles and jumps.

In addition to his coaching duties, Girardin will also handle the responsibility for the strength development of the student-athletes in his event areas through the middle distance events, as well as oversee the plyometrics/agilities for the throwers.

Girardin comes into the Cardinal program after a highly successful eight-year coaching stint at Santa Margarita High School in Southern California. During that time he earned acknowledgment as one of the top prep sprint/relays coaches in the nation.

"Matt is unquestionably a bright guy who is passionate about our sport and is highly motivated," said Weis. "He has demonstrated that he is multi-talented and has shown he has a special touch with young people. He will prove a huge asset to us, especially as we move into the BIG EAST Conference, and should make an immediate impact with the athletes in his event areas."

Widely recognized as an enthusiastic motivator with outstanding technical knowledge, Girardin's ability to impart his knowledge is evident as he helped transform a high school program with limited previous success into one of the nation's elite prep track & field programs.

Over the years, Girardin's athletes rewrote the school records at Santa Margarita High School while becoming fixtures on both the California and national performance lists. From 1996 through 2003, no fewer than 15 of Girardin's athletes/relay teams qualified for a spot on the prestigious DyeStat Elite Top 100 (national ranking list) with five of those earning a spot among the nation's top 25.

During this same period, 25 of Girardin's athletes went on to compete at the NCAA Division I level. Prior to his arrival, no athlete at Santa Margarita had achieved national recognition, and only one had ever earned a roster spot at the NCAA Division I level.

For all of Girardin's success, perhaps his most valuable asset is his ability to maximize the talent of his athletes. Working in an area and with a program not known for developing sprint talent, Girardin consistently developed athletes and relay teams that matched strides with, and often beat, many of the nation's elite.

From 2000-03, the Santa Margarita 4x400-meter relay teams qualified for the Championship Final in the single-division California State Finals, making Santa Margarita only one of two schools in a state of over 1,200 high schools to accomplish that feat. The last three of those relays earned a top-25 national ranking.

Girardin competed as a long sprinter at Claremont McKenna College, a perennial NCAA Division III power in the Los Angeles area. He graduated cum laude in 1993 with a degree in history. In 2003, Girardin received his Masters of Education in cross-cultural education from National University.

A USATF level I certified coach in the sprint/hurdles area, Girardin is currently seeking his CSCS credential (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) through the National Strength Coaches Association (NSCA).

He and his wife, Jennifer, an English teacher at DeSales High School, currently reside in Louisville.

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