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PULLMAN, Wash. - Metro State head cross country and track coach Pete Julian announced on Thursday that he has accepted the cross country coaching position at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. Julian had been the head coach at Metro State for four years in cross country and three years in track, starting both programs from scratch after Metro State's cross country and track & field programs disbanded in the mid-1980s. At Washington State, Julian will serve as the coach for the middle distance, distance and cross country runners.

“We would like to congratulate Pete on this great opportunity for him and his family,” Metro State athletic director Joan McDermott said. “He did a tremendous job starting our cross country and track programs, making them successful in the highly competitive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. We would like to thank him for his time and efforts here in Denver and we know he will continue to have success as Washington State.”

Julian started the cross country and track programs and saw them continue to improve each season at Metro State. This spring, the Roadrunners men's indoor track team finished 10th at the NCAA Championships and the outdoor team placed 16th. Both the men's and women's cross country squads finished in the top-20 nationally as the men took 14th and the women 19th during the fall. Julian also coached junior Anthony Luna (Westminster, Colo./Ranum H.S.) to national championships in the indoor and outdoor 800 meter runs this spring.

While at Metro State, Julian's runners totaled 11 All-America honors and won 55 All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference awards. This spring, the men's track team was one of 27 NCAA Division II squads honored as USTFCCCA All-Academic teams.

“My time here at Metro State has been an absolutely rewarding experience,” Julian said. “In just a short time we've established the cross country and track program as a national presence and that's a testament to the quality of athletes I've had the pleasure to coach. Although I will miss Metro State tremendously, it is the athletes that I coached that I will miss the most.”

For Julian, the coaching position at the NCAA Division I school is a chance to return home to the Pacific Northwest. He grew up in Oregon and was a four-time All-American at the University of Portland, winning three of those honors in track. He also became the first Portland cross country runner to earn All-America honors.

“I feel very excited and fortunate that we have attracted someone of the quality of Pete Julian to come and direct our distance running and cross country program at Washington State,” WSU head track & field coach Rick Sloan said in a statement released by the Cougars on Thursday. “Pete brings a great deal of experience and success as a competitor and as a coach. He has done great things at Metro State.”

McDermott expects to have an interim head coach announced soon.