The Fort Lewis College Department of Athletics announced on Monday the hiring of Shawn Jakubowski as the next head women's cross-country/track and field coach, effective immediately.
Jakubowski is a familiar face to the running programs after serving as the men's assistant coach during the 2021 cross-country season. Before volunteering with the Skyhawks, Jakubowski was the head coach for the cross-country and track and field programs at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky, from 2015-2020.
At Berea, he guided the programs to six conference championships while qualifying two teams to the NCAA National Championships. He also coached an individual to a national runner-up finish in the 3k steeplechase. Additionally, he aided in the transition of Berea from NAIA/USCAA to NCAA Division III.
“When I moved to Durango in 2020, I was looking for ways to remain involved in coaching. I reached out to the staff at Fort Lewis and was able to become a volunteer coach on staff,” Jakubowski said. “My greatest joy is working with student-athletes, and I become close with the athletes I was able to work with. That pushed me to my current role with the women's team, where I get to invest my energy in the talented group of athletes here on campus.”
In addition to his busy schedule, while coaching six teams at Berea College – men’s and women’s cross-country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field – Jakubowski was the college’s sole sports information director from 2015-2019. He was responsible for all aspects of sports information work, including generating and reporting statistics, game management, website maintenance, and written material. Through all that, Jakubowski's passion has remained in running.
“Me and running have a long relationship,” Jakubowski joked. “The sport has always been something that allows me to get lost in my thoughts. Some days are a bit tougher than others, but I can't remember a run I started that I wasn't glad that I finished. Coaching the sport was a natural fit for me. All of my mentors throughout my life have been coaches, and coaching student-athletes allows me the joy of seeing them graduate and become leaders in life. It's bittersweet but worth every minute.”
Before working at Berea, Jakubowski was the head coach for the cross-country/track and field programs at Tennessee Wesleyan University in Athens, Tennessee. While at Tennessee Wesleyan, he was instrumental in the inception of the first track program in school history, bringing in 52 recruits in seven months and winning a conference championship in the program’s first year of existence.
Jakubowski himself had a successful four-year career as a student-athlete at Berea College. He was an integral member of the record-holding 4x800 meter relay team that finished fifth at nationals en route to First Team All-American honors. Though his collegiate racing days are over, Jakubowski can still be seen racking up mileage around the city of Durango in his free time.
“We are excited to welcome Coach Jakubowski to the Skyhawks family. Shawn is a proven winner and has built success at every program he’s played a leadership role in,” said FLC Director of Athletics, Brandon Leimbach. “Shawn possesses an admirable talent for recruiting and maximizing the potential of his student-athletes. He impressed us with his knack for mentoring the women’s programs that he has previously led, and I have no doubt that our Skyhawks will benefit from his passion for athletics, academics, and holistic approach to the welfare of our student-athletes.”
Jakubowski, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from Berea College in 2006 and completed his master’s in sports administration from Eastern Kentucky University in 2012. He and his wife, Mariah, an FLC softball alumni and Athletic Trainer for Durango High School, reside in Bayfield.
