Alex Noel will enter his fourth season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with the AU cross country and track program in 2021.
In his first three years at AU, Noel was vital in the recruitment of two of the strongest signing classes in program history, including one of the top-ranked high school middle distance runners in the country with Malcolm Going (Danbury, Conn.), along with three New Balance All-Americans and five state champions. During the 2020-21 season he focused on the development of the women's team and helped the squad to its best team finish since 2008 at the Patriot League Cross Country Championships (5th) behind an All-Patriot League First Team finish from sophomore Ana Keene (6th). Under his guidance, the women also earned 10 new program all-time top 10 marks, including three in the women's 10,000-meter run during the Colonial Relays. In fact, the women's team made waves on the national stage when the foursome of Clare Hernandez, Shelbi Wuss, Rachael Potter, and Emily Neuner ranked third in the USTFCCCA Division I Event Squad Rankings for their 10k performance at the Colonial Relays.
Since Noel's arrival, the Eagles have continued to rewrite the program record books, earning 56 new all-time top ten marks including the second-fastest outdoor 800m performance in AU history by Liam Purdy (1:49.95).
In his first year with the Eagles, Noel assisted in the development of four All-Patriot League finishers in both cross country and track, including a PL title run by Adriana Hooks in the outdoor 10k. Hooks was also an all-conference finisher on the cross country course alongside Matthew Rainey on the men's side, and she was runner-up during the indoor championship meet in the 5k. Noel also helped guide Liam Purdy to one of the best finishes in program history on the national level, becoming the first Eagle to advance to the NCAA Outdoor quarterfinal in the 800m (18th).
Noel has also helped mentor the Eagles to success in the classroom, including a new single-semester department record by the women's team in the fall of 2018 (3.77). Both teams have also won consecutive USTFCCCA All-Academic Team awards while Purdy was selected for a USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual award in the spring of 2019.
Noel came to American from one of the national powerhouses in track & field at the University of Georgia. During his two years as a volunteer assistant coach with the distance program in Athens, the Bulldogs claimed two national titles at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships (women) and the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships (men). The women's team also finished as national runner-up during the 2017 Indoor Championships, 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships and the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
On the cross country course, the Bulldogs finished fourth at the 2016 SEC Cross Country Championships on the men's side, and second during the 2017 SEC Cross Country meet. Noel also helped mentor two NCAA Cross Country Championships qualifiers with Samantha Drop and Jessica Drop, who earned two All-America honors for the indoor 5,000-meter run (fourth) and outdoor 5,000m (seventh).
Noel was a two-time Division III National Championships qualifier during his time as a student-athlete at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. A two-year team captain and USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree, Noel set school records in the 10,000-meter run and the distance medley, and helped lead his team to three Southern Athletic Association (SAA) titles. He also won the individual title at the 2014 SAA Cross Country Championship and was on the conference honor roll all eight semesters.
Noel graduated cum laude from Rhodes in 2016 with his B.A. in environmental studies. He holds a USATF Level I certification. A native of Louisville, Ky., he currently resides in Falls Church, Va.
