WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Otterbein University and the Department of Athletics is excited to welcome Matt Sutton as a new head coach, recently announced by Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Dara Ford.

Sutton will serve as head coach of both cross country programs along with being a primary assistant for track and field. He arrives after spending three years as a distance specialist at Adrian College.

"We are very excited to add Matt to our staff," Ford said. "He brings a wide variety of experiences that I know will help the program. I'm excited for the kids to collaborate and grow under some fresh ideas and perspectives."

Sutton helped grow the XC rosters immensely while at Adrian, as both programs had a combined 12 student-athletes (including just four on the women's side) upon his arrival. After just a few years, his recruiting efforts helped grow the roster to a combined 32 faces.

The Bulldogs took fourth on the men's side at the most recent Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAA) Championships in the fall, marking the program's highest finish in nearly a decade.

"This is an incredible opportunity and I'm really excited to stay in Division 3," Sutton began. "Adrian was my first introduction to this level and now I have the chance to learn under an accomplished D3 veteran in Coach Ford. I think the possibilities are endless and I just want to keep growing.."

Sutton is a 2017 graduate of Georgia College where he was a four-year member of the cross country team from, eventually graduating with a bachelor's degree in exercise science. He was also a 2x member of the Peach Belt Conference All-Sportsmanship Team (2015 and 2017).

Sutton remained at his alma mater in Milledgeville to launch his coaching career, serving as graduate assistant for the 2018 season while earning a master's degree in human performance. He then stepped in as the interim head coach in 2019 to handle all recruiting efforts, practice plans, team operations, etc. Both programs generated team GPA's above 3.25 during that span.

"Otterbein is such a well-rounded and desirable location," Sutton added. "I can see myself recruiting here when you consider those attributes with the recent athletic success. I hope to keep building on these already strong traditions and add my own energy at the same time."

Matt's coaching experience started in the fall of 2017 where he served as a volunteer assistant at Baldwin High School. He also served as a volunteer assistant of the Baldwin Blazers AAU/USATF Junior Track and Field team during the summer of 2019.

Sutton, who also holds a Track and Field Technical certification from the USTFCCCA, now resides in nearby Gahanna.