HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana University has named Corey Mistretta as the new head men's and women's track and field/cross country coach, SLU Director of Athletics Jay Artigues announced on Monday.
 
Mistretta's hiring is pending the approval of the University of Louisiana System's Board of Supervisors. Mistretta has spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach on former head coach Sean Brady's staff.
 
Mistretta has been serving as the interim head coach since Brady resigned to accept an assistant coaching position at Texas A&M earlier this month. Artigues was pleased to remove Mistretta's interim tag and believes he can continue the tradition of national and regional success.
 
"We're very excited to have someone of Corey's caliber join us as we continue to grow our successful track and field program," Artigues said. "His experience, energy and enthusiasm make him an ideal fit as the leader of our Lions and Lady Lions."
 
Mistretta's hiring will continue a more than three-decade relationship with the SLU track and field program. The Donaldsonville native ran the 400 meters and 400 meter hurdles for the Lions from 1984-87 and served as a student assistant coach from 1990-91 under Southeastern Athletics Hall of Famer and former track coach Andy Thiel.
 
"I'm very excited to be given the opportunity to take over a program that had has so much success under Coach Brady," Mistretta said. "I am also thankful to the lessons Coach Thiel taught me and how he taught me to do things the right way. To be able to take over a program and follow in the footsteps of two coaches I have so much respect for in Coach Brady and Coach Thiel is truly a humbling experience."
 
During Mistretta's time as recruiting coordinator and assistant coach, the Lions and Lady Lions have produced six All-Americans. Prior to his time in Hammond, Mistretta spent three years as the athletic director and head track coach at Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he led the men's team to the first state championship in school history and was twice named the conference coach of the year.
 
Mistretta previously was at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where he helped the 2010 Lady Falcons to both the indoor and outdoor state championships. Mistretta spent six years at his alma mater, Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge prior to his time at STA. He was named the 2007 LSWA Coach of the Year and helped the men's team to the first three state championships in school history (2006, 2007 and 2009).
 
A 2002 graduate of Mercer, Mistretta holds a bachelor's degree in business administration. He earned his master's degree in coaching and athletic administration in 2015 from Concordia University Irvine.