DALLAS, Texas - Dallas Christian College announced this week the hiring of Edward Ortiz Jr. as the next Head Coach for cross country. He is the second to lead the Crusaders since current Athletic Director Gregg Mucerino came to DCC. This past fall, DCC had assistant head coach Sandy Anderson oversee the program while a nationwide search was underway. 

The Crusaders were represented on the men's side with three sophomore athletes, that included an appearance by the trio at the NCCAA Division I Championships in Joplin, Missouri, last fall. 

Ortiz immediately is looking to recruit and prepare a competitive men's and women's cross country roster for the fall 2022 season, and also has sights on a track and field season eventually. 

"After a long and thorough search we believe that God has brought a wonderful addition to the coaching staff and cross country program," Athletic Director Gregg Mucerino stated. "We are excited to have Edward here to lead our cross country student-athletes, as we continue to grow our programs to serve the Lord through the vehicle of Athletics."

Coach Edward Ortiz arrives at Dallas Christian College from Corpus Christi, Texas.

Before the pandemic, he coached at NAIA Southwestern College where he led the Moundbuilders to their first Men's and Women's Distance Medley Relay dual titles at the KCAC Conference Championship meet.

In 2018, Ortiz joined NCAA Division III Texas Lutheran University Athletics coaching staff, where he served as an assistant coach for women's/men's cross country and for women's/men's indoor/outdoor track & field. He wasted no time with success, setting School Records in the  Men's 6K & Men's 8K in Cross-Country, two SCAC XC All-Americans, and School Records in the; Women's Indoor 800m, 3K, Men's Indoor 3K & Mile, Outdoor 3K & Mile, and Outdoor 5K. Also helping TLU capture their 3rd outdoor track and field conference championship in a row.

Before his success at TLU, Ortiz was in Portland, Oregon, where he was the head coach for men's & women's cross country and track & field teams at Warner Pacific University.

The Knights had their men's and women's cross country highest-place finishes in four years at the Cascade Collegiate Cross Country Championships. Ortiz aided the Knights' top runner to a 12th-place overall finish that brought a First Team All-Conference honor and qualification to the NAIA Cross Country National Championships.

In the fall of 2016, Ortiz contributed to Texas Tech University as a volunteer assistant for the cross country and track & field teams. He contributed to a men's first and second-place individual overall finish at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships. He aided the Red Raiders to a fifth-place overall team finish, tying for the highest finish in school history. A Red Raider male runner qualified for the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.

In the spring of 2016, Ortiz was a volunteer assistant coach at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. He aided the Braves in four Missouri Valley Conference Championships and a helped qualify a female to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 10,000 meters.

Ortiz also spent six years as the director of Elite Feet, a cross country, track & field and road-racing youth club team in Corpus Christi. The club provides training and competition opportunities for young runners.

An accomplished athlete, Ortiz competed collegiately at the University of Texas-Permian Basin. He was a four-year member of the cross country team and set school records in the 400, the 800, the 3,000-meter steeplechase, the 4x100 relay, the 4x400 relay, and the 4x800 relay. Ortiz was also a standout member of the swimming & diving team, where he set six school records, was a 10-time NAIA All-American, a six-time conference champion and led the Falcons to a conference team championship title in 2008.

Ortiz received his bachelor's degree in Communication in 2008 and a master's degree in Educational Leadership in 2009 from the University of Texas-Permian Basin.

He currently resides in Ft. Worth, TX where he works as the Associate Executive Director for the Amon G. Carter, Downtown YMCA of Fort Worth. 

"Dallas Christian educates and mentors students to be people of influence engaging in their calling to the work of Christ in the church and in the world."