Track and Field Coaching Staff
Dr. Kregg Einspahr, head coach
Dr. Kregg Einspahr, enters his 15th season as Concordia University track coach. He was recognized by the GPAC and NAIA Region III/IV as the 2004 men’s and women’s cross country coach of the year. He was also named the GPAC women’s outdoor track coach of the year in 2005.
Previously, he was honored as NAIA Regions III and IV indoor track coach of the year in 2001-02. In 1999-2000, Einspahr was named NAIA Regions III/IV men’s track coach of the year after his team finished in fifth place at the national NAIA championships. The United States Track Coaches Association named Einspahr as NAIA national women’s cross country coach of the year in the fall of 1999 as well as NAIA Region III/IV coach fo the year.
A 1982 graduate of Concordia, Einspahr continued his education at the University of Nebraska where he earned his master’s degree in biology in 1985. He received a doctorate degree in biochemistry and cell physiology from the University of Texas in 1988. Einspahr also completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. In addition to coaching he serves as a professor of biology.
While competing at Concordia he was a six-time NAIA national champion, winning the indoor mile once, and the two mile twice. In the steeplechase he was a three-time national champion. He also ran professionally and was ranked in the United States and world while competing in three Olympic trials.
He and his wife, Suzanne, reside in Seward.
Contact Coach Einspahr
Ed McLaughlin, assistant coach (throws)
Ed McLaughlin is in his 13th year as a member of the Concordia University track and field coaching staff, serving as an assistant coach and working with the throwers.
McLaughlin has coached 23 National qualifiers, 21 All-Americans, four National Champion Runner-ups and 11 GPAC Champions. In addition, 11 school records have been broken in the throws during McLaughlin’s time at Concordia.
McLaughlin was a four-year letter winner in both football and track at Concordia. He was the NIAC shot put champion in 1996, a six-time competitor in the NAIA Championship meet and he broke the school record in discus as a freshman.
In football, McLaughlin played on the offensive line and earned All-NIAC honors twice for the Bulldogs. He also was a two-time All-Nebraska selection and earned NAIA Honorable Mention honors in 1996.
McLaughlin completed his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Biology at Concordia University in 1998. He resides in Seward.
Contact Coach McLaughlin
Mark Samuels, assistant coach (pole vault, jumps, sprints)
Mark Samuels enters his third season as an assistant coach for the Concordia University track and field program. Samuels works primarily with pole vault, jumps and sprints.
Mark has coached 11 National Qualifiers, six NAIA All-Americans and six GPAC Champions during his time at Concordia. He also coached the 2002 NAIA Indoor Pole Vault National Runner-Up and the 2009 GPAC Indoor and Outdoor Women’s Athlete-of-the-Year.
Samuels competed at Concordia from 2001-04. He was a four-time NAIA All-American and a four-time GPAC Champion. Samuels was the 2002 National Runner-Up in the 400 meter dash at the Indoor National Meet. For his efforts, Samuels was named 2002 GPAC Indoor Men’s Athlete-of-the-Year. He holds five school records including individual indoor records in the 200 meter dash and 400 meter dash. He was also a member of record setting 4 x 400 meter relay teams in both indoor and outdoor seasons.
Coach Samuels resides in Seward with his wife Kari, who is also a member of the track and field coaching staff at Concordia. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, cycling, and running.
Contact Coach Samuels
Kari Samuels, assistant coach (jumps and hurdles)
Kari Samuels enters her first year as an assistant track coach for Concordia University. She previously served for two years as a graduate assistant track coach for the Bulldogs. Samuels works primarily with the jumpers and the hurdlers.
Kari competed for the Concordia University indoor and outdoor track teams from 2000-2003. She was a three-time NAIA All-American during her college track career and, in addition, was twice named an NAIA Academic All-American. She is the former school record holder in the outdoor 400 meter hurdles. Samuels also is a member of the Concordia record-holding indoor distance medley relay team.
Coach Samuels graduated from Concordia in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. This December, she will complete her master's degree in literacy with endorsements in K-12 reading and ESL. Along with her coaching duties at Concordia, she serves as a teacher at Immanuel Lutheran School in Polk, NE. She resides in Seward with her husband Mark, who is also a member of the track and field coaching staff at Concordia.
Kurt Holliday, assistant coach (sprints & hurdles)
Kurt Holliday is in his third year serving as an assistant coach for the Concordia track and field program. He works primarily with the sprinters and hurdlers.
In addition to coaching with the Bulldogs, he has spent the past 10 years as the head cross country coach at Seward High School. He was also the head track and field coach at Seward High for seven years. Under Holliday's guidance, the Bluejays have won two state titles and had two runner-up performances in track to go along with three runner-up finishes in cross country.
Holliday competed in cross country and track at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, finishing as the national runner-up in cross country. He also finished third, fourth and seventh at the national meet en route to All-American honors.
Contact Coach Holliday
Suzanne Weeder-Einspahr, assistant coach (distance)
Suzanne continues to assist her husband with the cross country and track and field programs at Concordia. During the track season, she works primarily with the distance runners.
Collegiately, she was a two-time NAIA national champion, winning the indoor mile and outdoor 3000 in 1994. She continues to compete throughout the world, running in Beijing, China with the Women’s Ekiden Team in 2004.
Steve Hoger, volunteer assistant (race walk)
Bio Coming Soon