Dan Steele‏ Leaves UO for Northern Iowa

As an athlete, Steele competed as the brakeman on the Olympic bronze medal four-man bobsled team for the United States at the 2002 Games.

Dan Steele‏ Photo: GoDucks.com

EUGENE, Ore. - Associate Director of Track and Field Dan Steele has resigned his position at the University of Oregon to accept the job of Head Men's and Womrn's Track and Field/Cross Country Coach at the University of Northern Iowa, UNI Director of Athletics Troy Dannen announced Tuesday.

“I would like to thank the University of Oregon for seven truly amazing years and the wonderful opportunities afforded to me," said Steele. My experiences as a member of this excellent program and my association with such special student-athletes have had a profound effect on me.

Steele, a native of Moline, Ill., recently finished his seventh season at the University of Oregon. Steele was instrumental in leading the combined men’s and women’s teams to unprecedented success in 2009, where the Duck men won the NCAA Indoor title, the Pac-10 Conference title and finished second at NCAA Outdoor meet. Not to be outdone, the Duck women won the 2009 Pac-10 Conference title and finished second at the NCAA Outdoor meet. Steele made history at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships by coaching Ashton Eaton to his second Decathlon title and Brianne Theisen to her first Heptathlon title. This is the first time in NCAA history both multis winners came from the same school. For his efforts, Steele was voted the 2009 Indoor NCAA Coach of the Year.

“I would like to thank Vin Lananna for trusting in my skills, the student-athletes for believing in our program, and the fans in Track Town, USA, for supporting us along the way.”

Mike Bellotti, Director of Athletics at the University of Oregon, said “I want to thank Dan for all of his contributions to the success our track and field program has enjoyed. He has demonstrated an ability to develop individual talent into national-class competitors as well as has gained a sense of how to build a solid program across the board. We wish him success as he enters this next phase of his coaching career.”

“My extraordinary experience at Oregon has prepared me well to take over the program at the University of Northern Iowa.” Steele said. “I had the great pleasure of working for and learning from two of the most brilliant head coaches in the business, Vin Lananna and Martin Smith. In that time, I have also enjoyed coaching some of the finest track and field athletes in America.

“Northern Iowa and I are a great fit. Originally from the Quad Cities, I also know Cedar Falls/Waterloo is the perfect place for raising a family. UNI’s proud and impressive tradition of athletic and academic excellence falls in line with my professional standards and expectations. Coaching is teaching; I am a passionate teacher. With my modern vision and leadership, UNI will remain relevant at the NCAA level and be a perennial Missouri Valley Conference championship-caliber team.”

As the Associate Director of Track and Field at Oregon, Steele was responsible for running the daily operations of the men’s and women’s track and field team. Overseeing the sprinters, hurdlers, pole vaulters, decathletes and heptathletes, Steele has coached eight NCAA champions, 13 Pac-10 champions, 30 All-Americans and helped Oregon student-athletes establish 22 new school records.

As an athlete, Steele competed as the brakeman on the Olympic bronze medal four-man bobsled team for the United States at the 2002 Games.

Steele earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Eastern Illinois in 1992. As a collegiate student-athlete at EIU, Steele captured the 400-hurdles NCAA title as a senior, was a two-time All-American and two-time Drake Relays champion for the Panthers. He was inducted into the EIU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.

He and his wife, Dusky, have two sons, Xander and Blake.

Vin Lananna, Associate Athletic Director at U of O, said, “Dan has done a remarkable job recruiting and developing talented student-athletes at the University of Oregon, and he has been instrumental in the recent successes our teams have enjoyed. I am certain that he will be successful in translating what he has accomplished here to the leadership of his own program.

“We will begin a national search immediately, and I’m confident that we will attract an outstanding pool of coaches who want to help guide the Men and Women of Oregon to tremendous achievements.”

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