Philip Jennings Tabbed as Wellesley's Next Cross Country/Track & Field Head Coach

WELLESLEY, Mass. - Bridget Belgiovine, Chair of the Wellesley College Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Director of Athletics, has announced the hiring of Philip Jennings as Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach and Assistant Professor of the Practice. He takes over for long-time Wellesley coach, John Babington, who recently retired after 26 years with the Blue.

"I am pleased to welcome Phil Jennings to Wellesley," said Belgiovine. "He has proven himself to be very successful in leading both top-notch cross country and track and field programs during his coaching career," she added. "We look forward to his leadership of our teams, in particular the continuing development of our track and field program." 

Jennings heads to Wellesley after spending the last 10 years at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), where he served as head coach for the men’s and women’s cross country and track & field teams for the past five years. He also spent the previous three years as Head Cross Country Coach, while beginning his career as an assistant in both programs in 2003.

Under Jennings’ tutelage, TCNJ has been a perennial power; combining for 53 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Team Championships between men’s and women’s cross country, and men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field. His athletes have boasted 150 individual All-America awards, 90 coming with Jennings as a head coach.

Jennings has had nine of his teams place in the top-ten at the NCAA Championships, while earning NCAA Atlantic Regional cross country titles for both men and women. He was honored by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) four times, being named the NCAA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year three times on the women’s side and once on the men’s side. In addition, Jennings has been named NJAC Coach of the Year 19 total times in his career.

"I am excited and honored for the opportunity to coach at Wellesley College and I look forward to continuing and enhancing Wellesley’s strong tradition of athletic success in cross country and track and field," said Jennings. "I was impressed by the commitment, leadership, and vision by Athletics Director, Bridget Belgiovine, and her staff; and most importantly by the dedicated and dynamic group of current student athletes."

Prior to his stint at TCNJ, Jennings served as assistant cross country and track & field coach at Division-I Rider University. During his time with the Broncs, his teams finished second at both the indoor and outdoor Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships.

Jennings ran at Hamilton College for four years, serving as a two-team captain for both the cross-country and track & field teams and earning 11 varsity letters. During his senior year, his cross country team finished eighth at the NCAA Regional Championships, while earning a fifth place finish at the New York State Championships.

A 1999 graduate of Hamilton with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, Jennings is a Level I and Level II certified coach. He also earned his Master’s Degree from TCNJ in 2005, completing the Physical Education curriculum with a concentration in Athletic Administration.