Head coach Phil Olson is in his 10th season as the SFA head track and field coach. During his time in Nacogdoches, Olson has built SFA into a perennial contender in the Southland Conference, as well as a program that is respected on a national level. Olson's tenure has brought a combined 11 SLC team titles in cross country and track and field. During the last six seasons, 17 of Olson's athletes have competed in the NCAA Championships, including one Lumberjack who competed at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials.

During the 2008 season, the SFA men's and women's track and field teams put its talented youth on display. Of SFA's five Southland Conference individual titles, and 41 all-conference honors earned last year, three of the titles and 24 of the all-conference honors were earned by sophomores or younger. Add to that mix Aaron Harlan who qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the heptathlon, and competed at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the decathlon as a sophomore and it isn't hard to see why Olson is considered one of the top recruiters in the SLC.

The SFA men's and women's teams piled up the honors last season recording five individual titles, 41 All-SLC honors, 31 NCAA Regional qualifying marks, 11 school records, five NCAA qualifying marks, two conference records and one NCAA All-Region honor. The SFA cross country squads only added to that during the 2008 season earning four all-conference honors and the league male and female freshman of the year honors.

Two of the more dominant athletes in the league last season were two of Olson's throwers, Frednisha Marshall and Matt Langdon. During their sophomore campaign, the duo won two conference individual titles, six all-conference honors, set six school records, two conference records, recorded three NCAA regional marks and one NCAA qualifying standard. Marshall was named the league's athlete of the week three times during the season, and both athletes were named SLC Outstanding Field Athletes following the conference indoor championships. Throw in classmate Kaitlyn Andrews' All-SLC honor during the indoor shot put and the Lumberjack and Ladyjack throwers capped off another strong season under the guidance of Olson.

Olson's athletes also have made an impact at the national level since his arrival in Nacogdoches. Olson has sent 17 athletes to the NCAA Championships during his time in Nacogdoches, including former pole vaulters Adam Keul and Misty Ballard-Swan who recorded All-America honors under Olson's guidance. Former Lumberjack DeVaughn Rettig followed a stellar SFA career by competing at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in the triple jump. This past season Marshall and sophomore Aaron Harlan recorded NCAA qualifying marks in the weight throw, and heptathlon, respectively, while Harlan competed at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the decathlon. Zach Ross also recorded the `B' qualifying standard for the U.S. Olympic trials in the 110-meter hurdles. Under Olson's watch, SFA has also sent five cross country runners to the NCAA Championships as well.

The 2005 campaign was a year to remember for Olson and the SFA program. It started with the program's first-ever sweep of the SLC Indoor Championships. The wins marked the first indoor title for the women's team and the first-ever SLC track and field crown ever for the men. The two squads combined to win eight individual championships and earn 20 All-SLC awards. Olson was named the SLC Indoor Men's and Women's Coach of the Year. The pair of awards came two years after Olson was named SLC Women's Outdoor Coach of the Year and USTCA South Central District Women's Coach of the Year.

The 2005 season also saw four SFA athletes finish the year ranked in the Top 50 among NCAA Division I competition. Sarah Emerson's mark of 161-02 in the javelin ranked 19th in the nation, and Kenneth McKinley's throw of 59-07.50 in the shot put was good enough for 36th in the country. Wade Whittington and Markeshia Edwards each recorded a No. 50 performance, Whittington in the javelin (208-07) and Edwards in the shot put (49-01). All four athletes advanced to the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in their respective events. McKinley and Edwards combined to sweep the SLC men's and women's shot put titles at the outdoor meet.

SFA continued its winning ways in the fall, when the Lumberjack cross country team earned its fifth-straight SLC title. The Ladyjack team turned in a strong second-place finish, and SFA posted individual championships in both races. The teams combined for seven all-conference honors and won both SLC Athlete of the Year awards. Ashley Monteau became the fifth SFA athlete in the previous three years to qualify for the national cross country race.

Under Olson's watch, SFA has produced 310 All-SLC performances, won 80 SLC individual titles, set 157 school records and had 26 NCAA qualifiers.

Olson's teams also achieve in the classroom. SFA has produced eight Academic All-Americans in the last eight years, and seven athletes have been named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic team. Former distance runner Rodney Joseph was twice named SLC Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Year.

With coaching responsibilities distributed among a staff of six full-time coaches, Olson concentrates on the SFA throwers. The throws program has posted 13 NCAA qualifying marks and 55 NCAA regional qualifying marks, won 12 SLC individual titles, earned 42 All-SLC honors, and set 43 school records during Olson's tenure.

Olson came to SFA in 2000 as the head coach of the Lumberjack program. The following season, Olson was named head coach for both the SFA men's and women's teams. Olson brought home the first track and field title in school history in 2003 when he guided the Ladyjacks to the SLC Outdoor Title. Since then, SFA has accumulated three more team championships (a sweep of the 2005 SLC Indoors) five second-place showings and four third-place finishes. The men's and women's cross country programs also have combined for seven championships during Olson's tenure.

Prior to taking over at SFA, Olson spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Virginia, where he directed the throws program. While at Virginia, Olson recruited, developed and coached 21 NCAA Division I qualifiers, 19 Atlantic Coast Conference Champions, eight school record-holders, four All-Americans, four Olympic Trials qualifiers, three ACC record-holders, and an American and collegiate record-holder.

From 1990 to 1993, Olson was an assistant coach in the women's track and field program at Clemson, where he was part of two conference championship teams. Olson also coached an NCAA All-American and an Olympic Trials qualifier in the shot put, as well as ACC Champions in the shot put, discus and javelin.

Olson received his master's degree in sports medicine from Virginia in 1990. He and his wife, Donna, an athletic trainer in Lufkin, have two children, daughter, Addie, and, son, Tobie.