Oct. 5, 2010

George Mason Director of Track and Field Andrew Gerard is pleased to announce the hiring of Melane Rhoden as an assistant coach with the track program. Rhoden will work with the sprinters, jumpers and hurdlers.

"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Rhoden to our staff," Gerard said. "When we were doing our search we were looking for someone with an excellent technical background across all the sprint, jump and hurdle events; a professional outlook and demeanor; and good chemistry with the athletes and staff. Coach Rhoden brings all that and more to the Mason family! With her competitive background at Villanova and coaching tours at The College of New Jersey and Michigan State, she brings a great understanding of Track and Field in the East. I'm very confident that our student-athletes will benefit greatly from her expertise and guidance and I know our staff was very pleased to have been able to bring her on board."

Rhoden spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan State prior to coming to Mason. There she also worked with the sprinters, jumpers, and hurdlers. Prior to that, she spent three seasons at the College of New Jersey. Her first two years, she was a graduate assistant, and then after earning her master's degree, she spent one year as an assistant coach.

A native of Ewing, N.J. and a graduate of Ewing H.S., Rhoden was a scholarship sprinter and hurdler at Villanova University. She earned a bachelor's degree in human services in May of 2004. Her master's which she earned in the spring of 2006, is in counselor education.

Rhoden is USATF Level 1 Certified Coach. She resides in Fairfax.