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Sean Lonergan has completed his second season as the sprints and hurdles coach at SFA. Lonergan's experience producing talented sprinters and hurdlers was evident in his first season on campus. In only one season Lonergan produced 24 All-Southland Conference athletes, 23 scoring performances at the SLC Championships, set nine school records, eight NCAA regional qualifying marks, an NCAA provisional qualifying performance and he helped turn Chris Moody into a conference champion, and school-record holder in the 400-meter dash. Along with his success in the sprints and hurdles, Lonergan turned the SFA 800-meter runners into an event group to be reckoned with at the conference level. In only one season, Lonergan produced four scoring performances, and an All-SLC finish by senior Brian Wall at the conference outdoor meet last spring. Wall posted a personal-best time of 1:51.37 to finish second overall. It was more of the same from Lonergan's athletes in year two. Under Lonergan's guidance the SFA sprints and hurdles squad produced 31 All-SLC performances, four conference titles (including two relay titles), 10 school records and two NCAA qualifying marks. Sophomore Nick McCloud blossomed into one of the league's top hurdlers under Lonergan's direction. McCloud won the league's 60-meter hurdles title and recorded an NCAA provisional mark during the indoor season. He followed that up by taking the league's 110-meter hurdle championship and advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field meet. At the conference indoor track and field championships, the SFA men's and women's relay teams swept the 4X400-meter relays. The Ladyjacks clocked a school-record time of 3:48.91 to secure the team title, while the 'Jacks recorded a time of 3:15.55 to win the event and secure a second-place team finish. Lonergan comes to the Nacogdoches by way of the high school ranks where he has been one of the top prep coaches in the state of Texas for the past 13 seasons. He spent the past four seasons at Denton Guyer High School where he served as an assistant football coach and the boys' head track and field coach. During his time at Guyer, Lonergan coached the program to its first district title, while the mile relay team was a state medalist. Prior to his time at Denton Guyer, Lonergan spent two seasons at Sanger High School where he worked with current Lumberjack Travis Beavers. Under Lonergan's guidance, Sanger won a district title, while Beavers advanced to the state finals. Lonergan began his coaching career at Stephenville High School in 1995 as an assistant football coach and head track and field coach. Lonergan took over as the Stephenville High Director of Football Operations in 1997 under coach Art Briles. While at Stephenville High School, Lonergan guided his troops to four district titles over the next six seasons. He coached three athletes who continued their athletic careers at SFA. Markeisha Edwards, and daughters Cookie and Katie Lonergan, were each significant contributors in the Ladyjacks run to three Southland Conference titles from 2003-06. Lonergan has coached 25 athletes in football and track and field who have continued their careers at the collegiate level, including four at SFA. Lonergan will add one more to that list this spring with the addition of SFA signee, and former Sanger standout, Joshua Taber. Lonergan graduated from Adrian College in 1975, where he was a two-sport athlete. He was a two-time All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association swimmer, and helped guide the football team to back-to-back MIAA titles. Lonergan is a 2000 inductee into the Adrian College Hall of Fame. Lonergan is married to the former Therese Lara. The couple has two daughters, Katie and Cookie, who are both teachers in the Dallas area.
The Lonergan Résumé •55 All-Southland Conference Performers •19 School Records •Three SLC Individual Champions •Three NCAA Qualifiers •Two SLC Relay Champions •One SLC Freshman of the Year
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