John Metelko is in his second year serving as Associate Head Coach of Track & Field/Cross Country, and in his fourth year overall on the coaching staff for the Purple Aces.
His family-focused, team-oriented philosophy has led to a plethora of successes throughout his career. A 2005 Evansville graduate, Metelko has worked daily with the Purple Aces’ distance and middle distance runners since 2017. While being with the program a short time, his contributions have been felt. In 2018 the Purple Aces distance runners broke five existing program records in the indoor track and field season and seven existing program records in the outdoor season. In 2019, UE distance runners broke 7 program records individually, and contributed to team victories in track and field at the Stan Lyons Invitational (Men’s) and at the Kentucky Wesleyan Twilight (Women’s, and Men’s). In 2018 the women’s cross country team won three team invites for the first time ever in one season.
Metelko returned to UE after serving as head coach at Viterbo University. From 2008 to 2017, Metelko built the Viterbo cross country program from one which had been discontinued twice due to a lack of interest, into a solid program with over 28 student-athletes in the program, each of the last seven years. Additionally, Metelko grew the track and field team to have over 80 student-athletes.
Under Metelko's lead, the V-Hawks won 18 meet titles, including one team conference championship and 3 Wisconsin Private College Team Championships. Coach Metelko’s student-athletes qualified for NAIA national championships 38 times, earned All- American honors 5 times, and earned NAIA scholar-athlete honors 53 times. Before 2008, a Viterbo runner once earned all-conference honors; under Coach Metelko’s watch, V- Hawk cross country and track & field competitors earned all-conference honors 76 times.
Respected among his peers, Metelko was chosen to serve as a rater for the NAIA cross country top-25 poll for six seasons, and completed a two-year term as the chairperson for the North Star Athletic Association’s track and field coaches.
Before being a head coach, Metelko served as a volunteer assistant cross country coach at UE in 2005. Prior to his coaching experience at Evansville, Metelko found success as a student-athlete under Coach Don Walters. A four-year letter winner in cross country, Metelko was the Purple Aces first finisher once at both the MVC and NCAA Great Lakes Region Championships, and scored all four years at both meets. During his time as a student- athlete he was chosen as recipient of the Most Improved Runner Award and the team’s 110% Effort Award.Â
John Metelko graduated from the University of Evansville with a bachelor's degree and from Northern Illinois University with a master’s degree in Geography. Metelko resides in Evansville.
