Napier Hired as Assistant Track and Field Coach
8/15/2008 8:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Aug. 15, 2008
Cedar Falls, Iowa - Mark Napier, who has been an assistant coach on the University of Oklahoma track and field staff the past three seasons, has been hired as assistant track and field coach at the University of Northern Iowa, UNI head track and field coach Travis Geopfert announced today. Napier will coach the Panthers field events.
"To say that I am excited that Coach Napier is joining our staff would be an extreme understatement," Geopfert said. "I am thrilled that University of Northern Iowa track and field has attracted someone of his caliber. He is one of the best field events coaches in the nation and his proven experience in recruiting is second to none. I am confident that he will be an integral component in continuing to move this program forward. I am excited to welcome Mark, his wife Karen, and their family to Cedar Falls and very much look forward to working with him in the future".
Napier oversaw the men's and women's pole vault and multi-events at Oklahoma with great success, including guiding Sooner pole vaulter Chip Heuser to All-America honors in both 2006 and 2007. He helped Heuser and fellow pole vaulter Scott Martin to All-Big 12 honors both indoors and outdoors in 2007, and that pair helped the Oklahoma men win the 2007 Big 12 Conference Outdoor Championship, the school's first league title since 1978. He also coached Mitch Henry to a top 10 result in the decathlon at the 2006 outdoor national championships. Three of OU's six national qualifiers that year were from events that Napier coached.
Prior to joining the Oklahoma staff in 2005, Napier served as assistant track and field coach at Wisconsin for 12 years. With his assistance, the Badgers won 16 Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championships, including seven Big Ten Triple Crowns (cross country, indoor and outdoor championships in the same season). His athletes own 11 indoor and outdoor UW school records, and he guided his athletes to 26 conference titles and 21 All-America honors, including 1997 decathlon national champion James Dunkleberger.
Napier also served for two seasons (1991-93) as assistant track and field coach at Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas, and was a graduate assistant at Mississippi State from 1990-91.
Napier received his bachelor's degree in physical education from Florida State in 1988, where he was a two-time Seminole team captain, competing in the decathlon, triple jump and hammer throw. He received his master's degree in athletics administration from Mississippi State in 1991. He and his wife, Karen, have three sons, Joshua, Hunter and Nicholas.