Oklahoma State University Athletics
Dick Weis
October 04, 2006 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
Weis, who has coached OSU cross country for 22 years, came to Stillwater, Okla., from Missouri and quickly turned both the men's and women's cross country teams around. In his first year with the Cowgirls, the team placed last in the Big Eight Conference. Just three years later in 1986, the Cowgirls were the Big Eight Champions. They proceeded to an 11th-place finish in the 1988 NCAA Championships and followed it up with a fifth-place finish in 1989. He also coached the individual cross country champion for eight years, from 1982 to 1989. Weis also coached women's cross country All-Americans Christine McMiken (1984-85), Jackie Goodman (1986-89), Sonia Barry (1988) and Heather Garrett (1989).
In the late 1980s, Weis became only the eighth individual to coach men's track at OSU during its 98-year history. Weis has coached seven individuals to All- American honors after taking over the track program duties in 1989. Overall, he has coached 39 individuals to All-American honors in track since coming to OSU from Missouri. Most recently, Weis guided Jason Woolhouse to All-America honors in the 3,000m run in 2004. Weis led Chuck Sloan to All-America honors in the 3000m steeplechase in 1999. From 1995 to 1997, he coached Jon Wild to four All-America honors in track. Wild earned one in the 5,000m (1997). Also in 1997, Chris Kebenei earned All-American honors in the 5,000m and the 10,000m. Before him, Patrick Kiptum was honored three times, twice in the 5,000m (1994, '96) and once in the 10,000m (1996). During Weis' first year as OSU's track coach in 1989, he led Chris McGowan to All-America status in the 400m.
In the years since he came to Oklahoma State in 1983, Weis has produced some outstanding athletes. He has coached 53 All-Americans, four NCAA Champions, five NCAA runners-up, one world-record holder and two Olympians. Christine McMiken set the world record in the three-mile run with a time of 14:53.80. She also represented her home country of New Zealand by placing ninth in the 10,000m run in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. He also has coached 21individuals to world cross country selections. He spent four years, from 1979 to 1982, as the track coach at Missouri. While there, he led the Lady Tigers to the 1980 Big Eight Championship and two second-place conference finishes. He coached 26 All-Americans while at Missouri, including two-time Big Eight champion Sabrina Dornhoeffer (1982, 83), world-record setter Rosalyn Dunlap in the 600y indoor (1:18.56) and 1984 Los Angeles Olympian Pam Page.
He began his coaching career at the high school level in the state of New York. He enjoyed considerable success as a cross country coach at Albertus Mangus High School in Bardonia, N.Y., where his team was ranked first in the nation in 1974. From there, Weis moved to Monroe-Woodbury High School in Central Valley, N.Y., and produced two state high school titles. The White Plains, N.Y., native earned his bachelor's degree in 1971 from Kings College in New York. He is married to Donna and is the father of five children, including Joe (OSU almunus and two-time track indoor 1,000m Big Eight Champion in 1990 and 1992) and Ray (OSU alumnus and member of the OSU wrestling team in1993 and 1996). Ray is also the Head Wrestling Coach at Jenks HS. Weis was born in 1938 in Montreal, Canada.
