EMORY, Va. –Emory & Henry College Department of Athletics and Director of Athletics Myra Sims are pleased to announce the hiring of Ian Layne as Head Men's & Women's Cross Country Coach.

"We are very excited to bring Ian Layne on board as our head men's and women's cross country coach," said Sims. "He has demonstrated a strong work ethic as a student-athlete and in his work as an assistant coach at Piedmont College. He is passionate and knowledgeable about the sport, is highly organized and has been very successful in recruiting. I am confident that Ian will help our men's and women's cross country programs continue to improve."

Layne joins the E&H staff after spending the previous two seasons at Piedmont College, a member of the USA South Athletic Conference. While at the Demorest, Georgia school, Layne was the assistant coach for both the cross country and track & field programs. The Lions won the USA South Men's Cross Country Championship in 2015 and the coaching staff was recognized as Men's Coaching Staff of the Year for the league. In two seasons, 15 different runners earned All-USA South honors in addition to seven runner of the week and five rookie of the week accolades.

"I am very excited to have the opportunity to be the Head Men's & Women's Cross Country Coach at Emory & Henry College," commented Layne. "Both teams are loaded with returners that I cannot wait to work with. Over the past few years Emory & Henry has made major strides in the ODAC and in the South/Southeast Region. I am looking forward to the challenge of finishing better in those two. I want to thank Myra Sims and the rest of the selection committee for selecting me to lead the cross country teams and to the entire E&H family for welcoming me as I transition into this position."

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Layne was a four-year letterwinner in cross country at Huntingdon College, serving as a team captain his senior season. He helped lead the Hawks to the 2010 and 2011 Great South Athletic Conference Championship and was a GSAC All-Freshman selection in 2009.

Layne got his start in distance running at A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville, North Carolina. The Rockets won a pair of Northwestern Conference Championships in 2006 and 2007 as Layne was a three-time team captain and three-year varsity letterwinner.

Layne graduated in 2014 from Huntingdon with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion. He also holds a Track & Field Technical Certification from the USTFCCCA and a Level I Coaching Certification from USA Track & Field.

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