Lee LaBadie - Cross Country Coach - University of Akron Athletics

Lee LaBadie

Title:
Men's Distance and Cross Country Coach
Email:
labadie@uakron.edu
Phone:
(330) 972-7964

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Lee LaBadie (pronounced La-Bay-dee), a well-respected athlete and coach, is in his 12th season on the Zips' staff this fall as head coach of the men's cross country program. Additionally, LaBadie had also served as the women's cross country coach for two years at Akron.

"Coach LaBadie has done an outstanding job with our men's distance runners at Akron and has a tremendous record throughout his long coaching career of developing both male and female distance runners at the Division I level," said Zips head track & field coach Dennis Mitchell. "It was time for our program to combine the men and women like we do in all our event areas. Both genders benefit when they not only receive the same coaching resources, but also when they are able to learn how to work together as a team."

Since taking over the Akron cross country program in 2008, 11 Zips have garnered a total of 21 All-Mid-American Conference citations, including seven Akron runners earning first-team accolades. Additionally, 15 Zips have been recognized as Academic All-MAC award winners, with eight earning MAC Distinguished Scholar laurels.

In the fall of 2019, LaBadie saw Marc Migliozzi become Akron’s first NCAA Championship qualifier in cross country on the strength of crossing the line in a career- and team-best time of 30:46.4, en route to finishing 19th overall in the men's 10K at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Madison, Wis. The men's eighth-place team effort was the second-best in program history, behind only a seventh-place finish in 2015.

Migliozzi, who became the fourth Akron runner to earn USTFCCCA All-Great Lakes Regional accolades, and first since Kyle Cochrun and Clayton Murphy garnered honors in 2015, made a strong push over the final 5K to place 103rd out of 249 overall finishers at the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.

Migliozzi became the first Zip in program history to capture the men's individual championship at the 2019 MAC Championships in DeKalb, Ill., besting the field by over 10 seconds with a winning time of 25:19.9. By virtue of his performance, Migliozzi became the eighth Zips to garner first-team All-MAC honors and first since Garrett Crichlow matched the feat in 2016 and 2017.

Collectively, the Akron men's team earned a fourth-place performance in the final team standings. Nick Stricklen was next across the line for the Zips' men's squad garnering second-team All-MAC accolades for Akron registering a time of 25:54.2 to place 12th overall. He became the 10th Akron runner to earn second-team All-MAC honors and first since Migliozzi collected the laurels in 2017 and 2018.

In 2019, Tevin Brown won the men’s 5,000 meters at the 2019 MAC Indoor Championships, before going on to claim the first-ever title by an Akron runner in the men’s 10,000 meters at 2019 MAC Outdoor Championships. He established a school-record

Tevin Brown and Migliozzi collected second-team All-MAC accolades in cross country in 2018, placing eighth and 14th, respectively, at the MAC Championships.

In 2017, Crichlow (sixth) and Migliozzi (10th) earned first- and second-team honors, after Crichlow garnered first-team status for the first time placing sixth at the 2016 MAC Championships.

The distance medley relay team of Zach Alexander, Crichlow, Michael Ohiembor and Dan Zupan won the league title at the 2017 MAC Indoor Championships.

In the summer of 2016, he helped mold Akron four-time All-American Clayton Murphy into the bronze medalist in the 800 meters. Murphy's finishing kick propelled him to a become the first United States men's 800-meter runner to win an Olympic medal since 1992, chasing down the bronze medal over the final 100 meters on the strength of the fifth-fastest time, 1:42.93, in American history, at the XXXI Summer Olympics.

LaBadie's coaching allowed Murphy to shatter his previous career-best time of 1:44.30 set in the semifinal round and enabled him to be the third-fastest American ever. Murphy became the first United States men's runner to win an Olympic 800-meter medal since Gray in Barcelona, Spain in 1992, three years before Murphy was born.

The year 2016 saw LaBadie's coaching efforts rewarded as Murphy captured the 2016 NCAA Indoor 800-meter title before winning the 2016 NCAA Outdoor 1,500-meter crown in a school-record time of 3:36.38.

Additionally, Zupan set the program-record time of 8:56.41 in the steeplechase at the 2016 MAC Outdoor Championships, while Murphy established new school indoor records in the 800 meters (1:46.11) and mile (3:57.11) in 2016.

The Zips captured 2016 MAC Indoor titles in the Mile (Murphy), 800 Meters (Murphy) as well as the distance medley relay team of Crichlow, Taron Slone, Zupan and Murphy set a conference oversized meet record winning the race in 9:45.38. During the outdoor campaign, LaBadie was rewarded with titles in the 800 meters (Murphy) and 1,500 meters (Murphy) as well as Zupan placing second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Inheriting a men's cross country program that had placed no better than fifth in the MAC in its first 28 years of existence, LaBadie, who arrived on campus in 2008, has led the Zips to arguably their most successful run in program history earning top-five team finishes in eight of the last 10 seasons, including second-places finishes at the league meet in 2013, 2014 and 2015, the top finishes in program history.

Murphy was the Zips' top finisher in the 2015 men's race crossing the line in 24:32.86 to place fourth and lead Akron to a second-place team finish.

Cochrun came in just under three seconds later in a time of 24:35.46 to garner a seventh-place showing. Murphy earned first-team All-MAC accolades for the second straight year, while Cochrun collected first-team honors for the initial time with their performances.

In his first conference championship, Joe Rossetti captured a 16th-place finish coming across the line in 25:21.12 en route to being named MAC Freshman of the Year. Rounding out the scoring members of the Akron squad was Zupan and Aaron Howkins, who registered times of 25:31.88 (20th) and 25:36.92 (25th).

With all five runners inside the top-15 in 2014, the Akron men finished in second place for a second-consecutive season finishing with the lowest championship point total in program history, 49 points, a number which is an 18-point improvement from 2013. Four Zips earned All-MAC honors, led by first-team All-MAC honoree Murphy. Cochrun, Trevor Norris and Zupan each earned second-team All-MAC accolades.

Murphy led the Akron pack with a top-five finish, crossing the line in a time of 24:22 to finish in fourth place. Cochrun, Norris and Zupan were close behind, finishing in ninth, 10th and 11th places, respectively. Cochrun posted a time of 24:36 while Norris covered the 8K course in a time of 24:47. Zupan finished four seconds behind Norris (24:51).

In 2013, with four runners in the top 14, Akron recorded its best ever finish tallying 67 points to place second at the MAC Championships. Brad Hough paced the pack for the Zips, finishing 10th individually with a time of 25:15.24. He joined en a trio of runners – Norris, Murphy and Cochrun, who secured 12th (25:27.12), 13th (25:29.37) and 14th (25:30.67) places, as second-team All-MAC recipients. Dylan Papp rounded out the Zips' top-five, coming in 18th with a time of 25:46.02.

With four runners in the top-25, Akron finished fourth at the MAC Cross Country Championships in 2010 – just nine points behind Kent State and Miami, who each tied for second. Akron was even better in 2012 as all five runners scored in the top-20 while leading the Zips to a third-place team finish and just one-point shy of second-place Central Michigan.

Murphy blossomed under the guidance of LaBadie in 2015 capturing four conference titles (800 meters – Indoor and Outdoor; Mile – Indoor; 1,500 meters – Outdoor) en route to placing capturing first-team All-America recognition in the 800 meters at both the 2015 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Murphy then established a new school record in the 800 meters of 1:45.59 to place fourth at the United States Track and Field Championships. He went on to win the gold medal in the 800 meters at the Pan American Games in Toronto and earn silver at the NACAC Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica. He was then added to the United States roster in the 800 meters at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, where he advanced to the semifinals and was the top American finisher in the event.

Murphy established then school indoor marks in the 800 meters (1:47.06) and mile (4:00.39) in 2015, while Cochrun set indoor standards in the 3,000 meters (8:06.22) and 5,000 meters (14:16.69) in 2014.

In 2015, Murphy also established outdoor records for the 800 meters (1:45.59) and 1,500 meters (3:40.69), while Cochrun set a new mark in the 5,000 meters (14:07.57).

Capturing both the indoor 3,000- and 5,000-meter titles at the 2014 MAC Championship en route to being named the meet's most valuable performer was Cochrun. Additionally, Jake Hiltner won the 800 meters and Murphy the mile. Murphy repeated in the mile at the 2015 MAC Indoor Championship.

Murphy and Cochrun won conference outdoor titles in 2014 in the 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters, while Murphy took home championships in the 800 and 1,500 meters in 2015.

LaBadie was instrumental to the development of three-time All-MAC performer Brad Hough, who finished third at the league meet in 2011, seventh in 2012 and 10th in 2013. Hough was just the third Akron runner to be named to the all-conference first team on the men's side with his selection in 2011 and 2012. Murphy became the fourth Zip to be recognized as a first-team All-MAC performer in 2014.

The 2011-13 seasons were especially strong for Akron men's distance runners overall. During that time, Max Hiltner rewrote the school record in the mile (4:06.13), Joe McCoy bettered his record-setting time in the steeplechase (8:59.36), Hough posted the fastest times in the indoor 3,000-meters (8:09.92) and outdoor 5,000-meters (14:18.98), and Cochrun broke the Zips' indoor record for the 5K (14:38.94) and as well as the outdoor standard (14:40.66).

Another LaBadie protegee, Willie Brown earned All-American status in 2011 after shattering school records in both the indoor and outdoor 800 meters and qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials after running 1:45.91 during the outdoor season. Brown, who captured both the MAC indoor and outdoor championships in the 800m, posted the top five outdoor marks in school history as well as three of the top four indoor times.

During the 2009 cross country season, McCoy placed sixth at the MAC Championships, becoming just the second Zip to earn first team honors and just the fifth to earn all-league honors overall.

LaBadie's impact was immediate in 2008 as several veteran runners shaved significant times off their previous personal-records, including Joe Mummert in the indoor 800 and Mike Baraona in the mile. During the outdoor season, Jason Headman set the UA record for the 10,000 (30:10.65) meters, which had stood since 1972.

LaBadie has been in the collegiate coaching field since 1973. Most recently he served his second stint on staff at Ohio State University (2006-08). In his first tenure with Ohio State (1989-93), LaBadie coached a pair of Olympians, each of whom became distance coaches. Furman head coach Robert Gary was a two-time Olympian in the steeplechase and United States Cross Country Champion. Former Kent State head men's and women's distance coach Mark Croghan was a two-time NCAA champion in the steeplechase, a three-time Olympian in the event and five-time national champion. All told, he coached three individual Big Ten champions and helped the Buckeyes to a Big Ten team title during the 1992 outdoor season and a runner-up finish in the '92 indoor campaign.

Between his tours at Ohio State, LaBadie was a consultant on training, periodization, psychology and tactics for the University of Illinois, Ohio State and Kent State track and field/cross country programs. Another head coach LaBadie mentored was Illinois' Wayne Angel.

LaBadie is familiar with the Mid-American Conference as well, serving as head women's track & field/cross country coach at Bowling Green from 1985-89. While with the Falcons, he coached two-time NCAA All-American Beth Manson (discus) and All-American Tracy Gaerke (800m). His squads finished runner-up twice and never placed lower than fourth in track or cross country. In addition to his two All-Americans, LaBadie coached 12 individual MAC champions.

He began his coaching career at Parkland College. From 1973-85, he led his teams to five appearances in the National Junior College Athletic Association national championships, placing fifth, seventh, ninth and 11th twice. Individually, LaBadie had over 120 All-Americans and six national champions.

LaBadie was a standout as a student-athlete, competing in the Big Ten. A 1973 Illinois graduate, receiving his degree in philosophy, LaBadie was the 1971 league champion in the mile and was the first Big Ten undergraduate to run the mile in under four minutes (3:58.8). In 1972, he was an NCAA champion in the two-mile relay and placed fifth in the 800m at the Championships. His 1972 two-mile relay team additionally tied a world record. Prior to college, LaBadie was the Illinois high school state cross country champion and two-time Illinois high school mile runner-up.

LaBadie is married to the former Diane Bruce. The couple has two children, Lloyd and Laura.

5-1-20