Andrew Gerard is in his 20th season at George Mason after taking over the program in 2005. With more than 33 years of experience as a collegiate coach, Gerard oversees Mason's men's and women's cross country and track and field programs.
Since joining the Atlantic 10 in 2013-14, the Patriots have won 12 A-10 titles: men's cross country (2014), men's indoor track (2017, 2019), women's indoor track (2014), men's outdoor track (2015, 2016, 2019) and women's outdoor track (2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023). In addition, Gerard has been named the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year 13 times: men's outdoor (2019, 2017, 2016), women's outdoor (2019, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2023), men's indoor (2019, 2017, 2016), women's indoor (2014) and men's cross country (2014).
Mason also had five NCAA Outdoor Championship qualifiers in the last nine years: Walter Bannerman (2024, pole vault), Annabelle Eastman (2021, steeplechase), men’s 4x400 relay (2019), Sarah Moore (2018 and 2019, 400-meter dash), Michelle Wallerstedt (2017, discus) and Steven Flynn (2016, 5,000 meters). In addition, John Seals reached the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championship in the heptathlon, earning All-America Second Team honors in addition to CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team recognition.
Eastman, a Second Team All-American, also earned an at-large bid to the 2020-21 NCAA Cross Country Championships where she finished 83rd overall. She ran the second-fastest time in Atlantic 10 Championship history to become Mason's sixth-ever national qualifier, and the first since 1996.
In 2018-19, Mason’s men’s 4x400 relay, made up of seniors Rico Gomez and Junias Agyei, and juniors Evander Pierre and Tyler Benson, captured the A-10 indoor and outdoor titles. The relay team took Jacksonville by storm during the NCAA preliminary, blitzing past seven powerhouse track programs to qualify for Austin while posting the No. 10 time out of the 24 qualifying relay teams. It was Mason's first relay team to make the NCAA Championship since 2014.
Sprinter Moore also qualified for her second straight NCAA Outdoor Championship in 2019. The 13-time A-10 champion was the 2018-19 A-10 title winner in both the indoor and outdoor 400-meter dash.
In addition, Mason has sent over 75 student-athletes to the NCAA East Preliminaries since joining the A-10 in 2013-14. The Patriots have qualified 10-plus athletes on four occasions in the last eight years.
In 2014, the Patriot’s made their presence felt in their first year in the Atlantic 10 with the women winning conference titles at both the Indoor and Outdoor championships. Gerard was named A-10 Women’s Coach of the Year for both Indoor and Outdoor. The men’s team also had a strong start in the conference finishing second at both Indoor and Outdoor conference championships. Freshman Chatel Richardson took the individual conference title in the long jump at the Indoor Championships and earned recognition as the A-10 Rookie of the Year. Ayo Raymond earned the same honor on the men’s side after winning the 60m dash. Bethany Sachtleben brought home another individual title in the women's outdoor 5,000m run.
The Patriots qualified for over 20 events at the IC4A/ECAC Championships earning the top spot in the men’s 4x400m relay. Mandissa Marshall performed well during both the indoor and outdoor season setting a school record in Pole Vault, winning both the indoor and outdoor conference title and finishing eighth overall at the indoor NCAA championships.
The Patriots were unable to compete for a team championship in 2013, but Gerard led his team to seven individual titles and several more podium finishes. David Verburg led the way for the Patriots, wrapping up his collegiate career with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Finals in the 400m dash. Verburg was one of seven Patriots to earn USTFCCCA All-American honors. Verburg went onto the USA Championships and set a PR with a time of 44.75 and also earned a spot on the USA World Championship team for Moscow, Russia. Verburg ran lead off leg for the United States and helped the team win the Gold Medal in the 4x400m relay. Briscoe set a school record with a time of 13.35 in the qualifying run of Outdoor ECAC 100m hurdles. Along with Briscoe and Verburg; Anthony Williams (110hmh), Taylor Wheaton (400mh), Jimi Tele (Triple Jump), Adrian Vaughn (200m), Aneesha Scott (200m), Daianna Barron (400m) Cierra McGee (400m), Dominique Graham (4x4) Angel Coburn(4x4) DaQuan Smalls (4x4) made the trip to Greensboro and both 4x4 teams moved onto the Next round to Eugene, Oregon and the Women’s 4x4 received second-team All- American.
During the 2013 indoor season, the men’s 4x400-meter relay team earned All-American Honors In Fayetteville, Arkansas with an eighth place finish. David Verburg also earned Second Team All-American in the 400m. At the IC4A Championships George Empty broke the school record by winning the event in the 500m with a time of 1:01.24. Adrian Vaughn tied the school indoor record with a time of 21.19. The Women’s team had two School records fall as well, with Daianna Barron in the 600m and the Women’s 4x4 team consisting of Barron, Cierra McGee, Taylor Wheaton and Dominique Graham running a time of 3:35.77 at the ECAC Championships.
Gerard led the men’s team to three straight CAA titles in 2010, 2011 and 2012 with the women finishing second in 2010 and 2011. During that run, Gerard was named CAA Men's Track and Field Coach of the Year all three seasons.
In 2012, Gerard helped lead the men's team to its third-consecutive CAA Title, breaking the previous seasons' record for most points scored in the conference championship meet. Lavell Handy was named the Men's Outstanding Field Performer for the second-consecutive season while David Verburg was tabbed as the Men's Outstanding Track Performer and Mandissa Marshall was tabbed as the Women's Outstanding Field Co-Performer of the meet. The men's team went on to capture four IC4A titles and the team championship and three All-America honors.
In 2011, the Patriots set a CAA record for most points scored in a meet and had the second-largest margin of victory in conference history. Rachaunn Ruffin was named the Men's Outstanding Track Performer and Lavell Handy was named the Men's Outstanding Field Performer. In 2010, Grace Mavugara won the Women's Outstanding Field Performer award. In each of the past two seasons, the men's 4X400-meter relay team was named First-Team All-America in the indoor season and honorable mention All-America in the outdoor season. In 2011, Chris Carrington was named First-Team All-America in the 800 meters.
In the fall, Gerard has overseen some of the most successful cross country seasons in recent history including 2013, the teams’ first season in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Bethany Sachtleben became the first individual A-10 Champion in school history after taking first in the women’s 5k at conference championships while the men’s team earned a third place finish overall. Sachtleben along with Michael Conway and John Holt earned All-Conference honors for their top-15 finishes. Both the men’s and women’s teams also earned top-five finishes at IC4A/ECAC Championships and Sachtleben claimed her second individual title of the season by winning the women’s 5k Championship race.
Both the men's and women's teams finished in the top-three at the CAA Championships in each 2011 and 2012. At the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships in 2009, the men took 10th place in the team scoring, while the women had an All-Region performer in freshman Rochelle Sceats. The men's top runner, Everett Hackett, won the IC4A Championship race and freshman Alex Zyryanov was named the 2009 CAA Cross Country Co-Rookie of the Year. In 2010, both teams had top-six finishes at the IC4A/ECAC Championships with Laura Sinclair finishing second in the women's race.
During the 2009 indoor track and field season, Gerard coached Ja-Vell Bullard and Brandon Holmberg to school records for the men's team in the 300-meter dash and weight throw, respectively. The Patriot women's team finished in sixth place at the ECAC Indoor Championships with five top-five finishes at the meet. Outdoors, senior Ryann Hendricks qualified for the NCAA Championships in the triple jump after finishing fifth at the NCAA East Regional Championships. Hendricks was joined at the regional meet by Tiara Swindell, Rachaunn Ruffin and Sam Horn.
Gerard led the George Mason men's cross country team to its third consecutive top-three finish at the CAA Championships in 2008. The Patriots were one of two CAA squads to compete at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships. In addition to the men's success, two members of the George Mason women's cross country team - Karlyn Lockie and Samantha Fickel - ran at the regional meet as well.
During the 2007-08 season, Gerard coached seven individual IC4A Championships qualifiers during the indoor season, including a runner-up performance by freshman Dwight Webley in the long jump, leading the Patriots to a 13th-place finish in the team scoring.
In the spring, Gerard led the Patriots to a sixth-place finish at the CAA Championships, including individual titles by Webley and Michael Pachella. The duo competed alongside senior Ryan McCoy at the NCAA East Regional Championships, and McCoy, an All-East Region Team selection, advanced to the national championships where he finished 16th in the triple jump. Webley was recognized for his outstanding debut season with the Patriots as the CAA Men's Track and Field Rookie of the Year.
During the 2006-07 season, Gerard coached the runner-up at the CAA Cross Country Championships in Charles Millioen, an indoor All-American in the triple jump in Ryan McCoy and the CAA Rookie of the Year award winner, Michael Pachella.
In his first year with George Mason in 2005-06, Gerard helped rekindle some of the Patriots' past glory, leading the team to the IC4A Championship during the outdoor season. The team also had an All-American performer during both the indoor and outdoor seasons as senior Marc Kellman, who was named the CAA Athlete of the Year after the conclusion of the outdoor season, finished as the runner-up in the triple jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships, and leapt to a fifth-place finish at the Outdoor Championships.
He brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and accolades to the post, having led Stanford's nationally-ranked cross country team and assisting with the renowned Cardinal track and field program from 2003-05. No stranger to the Colonial Athletic Association and to the Patriots' past success, Gerard also spent seven years as the head coach of William and Mary's track and field/cross country teams.
Gerard helped mold the Cardinal into a national power during his first tenure from 1993-96 as an assistant cross country and track and field coach. During this time he gained valuable top level experience working with numerous standout athletes including Brad and Brent Hauser, Greg Jimmerson, Nathan Nutter, Monal Chokshi, Mary Cobb, Kortney Dunscombe and Sarna Renfro. In the fall of 1996, just prior to moving to William and Mary, both the men's and women's cross country teams won NCAA titles.
After spending seven years at William and Mary (1997-03), he returned to Stanford in August of 2003, moving up to the position of head men's cross country coach and assistant track and field coach. In his first year back at Stanford, Gerard led the Cardinal to the 2003 NCAA Men's Cross Country title, NCAA West Regional title, and Pac-10 Championship title, earning him both Pac-10 and USTCA National Coach of the Year honors. At the NCAA Championships, the Cardinal placed four runners in the top six, including national runner-up Ryan Hall. Beyond that, Stanford put six runners in the top 13 and seven in the top 23 spots, earning all seven team members All-America status. The Cardinal finished with a team score of 24 points, 150 points better than the second-place team. The team score was the second lowest score in NCAA history and was the largest ever margin of victory at the NCAA Championships. Gerard has also had significant success on the international scene, placing numerous athletes on the U.S. teams for the World Cross Country Championships. In March of 2004, Gerard coached freshman Forrest Tahdooahnippah to a spot on the United States team that competed at the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Brussels, Belgium, while the 2005 U.S. teams featured three athletes coached by Gerard - Ian Dobson (Sr. Men's 12k team), Don Sage (Sr. Men's 4k team) and Hakon DeVries (Jr. Men's 8k team). Over the course of the 2004 cross country campaign, Gerard received his second straight Pac-10 Coach of the Year award and his first West Regional Coach of the Year selection after leading the Stanford team to their second-straight Pac-10 and NCAA West Regional crowns and a sixth-place showing at the national meet. After replacing six of the seven racers from the 2003 NCAA Championship squad, two athletes garnered All-America selection, highlighted by freshman Nef Araia's eighth-place showing.
Gerard's success on the West Coast was not limited to the cross country course, however. In two short years, athletes under Gerard rewrote the Stanford record books, earned multiple national titles, garnered literally dozens of All-America selections and represented the U.S. internationally numerous times. During the 2004 outdoor track and field season, Ian Dobson (3,000m steeplechase), Louis Luchini (5,000m) and Donald Sage (1,500m) finished in the top-four at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships to gain All-America honors. Under the guidance of Gerard, Dobson (3,000SC, 8:32.09) and Luchini (5,000m, 13:25.19) set school records in their respective events during the regular season while Sage went on to finish sixth in the 1,500m at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento later that summer. In addition, redshirt freshman Russell Brown earned a qualifying spot at the World Junior T&F Championships in the 1500m. Indoors, Gerard guided Dobson to a school record and runner-up performance in the 5,000m at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Championships. Dobson also finished fifth in the 3,000m, earning All-America honors in both events. In 2005, the Cardinal enjoyed even greater success on the track. Indoors, the Stanford distance medley relay team placed fourth at the NCAA Championships, earning All-America honors, while Dobson moved up a spot, claiming the NCAA title at 5,000m with a new under-cover school record (13:40.91).
Outdoors, however, the middle distance and distance corps really caught fire. School records at 5,000m and 10,000m were shattered in the spring campaign. Ryan Hall won the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship in the 5,000m, edging out Dobson (13:22.54) with a school-record time of 13:22.32. The order of finish was reversed just two weeks later at the USA Track and Field Championships, as both dove under Hall's newly-inked time at the NCAAs. This time Dobson (13:15.33) nipped Hall (13:16.03), however, both qualified for the World Championships and were selected to the U.S. team for Helsinki. In addition, during the season, Dobson also sliced down the 10,000m record to 27:59.72, in the process becoming only the fourth U.S. collegian ever to dip under the 28:00 barrier. While Hall and Dobson were setting records, Gerard had numerous other athletes notch significant career bests at a spread of middle distance and distance events including Jon Pierce (8:45.84) and David Vidal (8:43.07, ninth place at USA T&F Championships) in the steeplechase, and redshirt freshmen Nef Araia (13:44.78) and Russell Brown (3:41.72, ninth place at NCAA Championships) at 5,000m and 1,500m, respectively.
Between his stints on the West Coast, Gerard spent seven years as the head men's track and cross country coach at The College of William and Mary, pushing the Tribe cross country and track and field teams into a position of national prominence as one of the school's most successful athletic programs. In cross country, William and Mary qualified for and finished in the top 16 at the NCAA Championships every year, including top-10 finishes in 1997 and 2000. The 2000 squad also won the Southeast Regional Cross Country title. In recognition of those successes, Gerard was named Colonial Athletic Association Cross Country Coach of the Year five times and was the 2000 Southeast Region Coach of the Year. Along the way, William & Mary won four league titles, including a 2001 title which saw the Tribe score a conference record-low 17 points. On the track, William and Mary captured the Colonial Athletic Association track and field title in 2003, earning Gerard his first selection as conference Coach of the Year. In all, Gerard's squads and athletes set a dozen school records and, in the process, picked up nearly 50 All-CAA, and 25 All-Region selections in cross country and track and field at William and Mary.
Recognized as one of the most promising young coaches in the NCAA ranks, Gerard has mentored a laundry list of the nation's finest distance runners. Under his guidance, more than 20 athletes gained All-America honors in cross country and track and field during Gerard's tenure at William and Mary, and he coached another 26 All-Americans during his most recent stint at Stanford. Beyond the plethora of top athletes from his days at Stanford, the list of athletes Gerard has successfully produced includes Matt Lane, who finished his William and Mary career with 11 All-America honors, seven school records, and the fourth-fastest American collegiate 5000-meter time in history (13:25.38). Lane was the top American finisher (fourth) in the 5000 meters at the 2001 World University Games and was fourth at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 5000 meters. Lane was also honored as the 2001 USTCA Athlete of the Year, the highest honor a collegiate track and field athlete can achieve. Among other highlights from his time at William and Mary were two performances that provided the bookend for his career. In his first season at William and Mary, Anders Christiansen placed second at the 1997 NCAA Championships in the 800-meter run, finishing in 1:46.66, a remarkable improvement from his PR of 1:57.80 the season before Gerard's arrival. Subsequently, Christiansen twice traveled to Europe with the U.S. Middle Distance Development squad. Capping his time at William and Mary, Ed Moran and Sean Graham finished fifth and sixth in the 5000 meters at the 2003 NCAA Track and Field Championships.
Along with the numerous athletic successes on the track and cross country course, Gerard's teams have also excelled in the classroom. During his tenure at William and Mary, several cross country and track and field athletes were named to Academic All-America teams. In addition, during his seven-year tenure, nearly 20 athletes received Academic All-America distinction from the two sports governing bodies, the USTCA and USCCCA. The Tribe and Cardinal cross country squads earned Academic All-America team recognition in 1997 and every year from 1999 through 2005. The 2003 William & Mary track and field team was recognized as one of the top-five NCAA Division I academic teams. Gerard's teams have also excelled in the classroom at George Mason. The 2006, 2008 and 2009 men's cross country teams were recognized by the USTFCCCA on its annual list of All-Academic Teams along with both the men's and women's teams in 2013. Capping the success in the classroom have been numerous CAA Conference Scholar-Athlete selections, a handful of Phi Beta Kappa honorees and a pair of Rhodes Scholarship nominees.
A 1990 Cum Laude graduate of Colgate University with a degree in biology and an emphasis on human physiology, Gerard was a four-year lettermen with the Red Raider cross country and track and field squads. In 1992, Gerard was ranked in the top 50 in the United States in the steeplechase.
Gerard has two children: Jack and Sydney
