Posted: July 6, 2005

Athletics: Stanford Coach Evans Resigns

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

Stanford University's head women's cross country coach, Dena Evans, resigned her post, the California university announced yesterday.

Evans, in a prepared statement, called it a "very difficult decision, but one I feel is the best choice for my family at this time. Stanford Athletics has been a huge part of my life for the past 13 years. I will always consider myself blessed to be a member of the Stanford family."

Also serving as the distance coach for the Stanford track team for the last seven years, Evans helped develop champion athletes like Sara Bei, Alicia Craig, Malindi Elmore, Lauren Fleshman, Amanda and Katie Trotter, and Ari Lambie.

"It has been a truly irreplaceable privilege to work with the student-athletes at Stanford," said Evans. "Our program has always enjoyed tremendous institutional support and I know that Dr. Leland (athletic director Ted Leland) and Coach Floreal (Edrick Floreal, women's track & field head coach) are committed to making the Stanford women's distance running tradition stronger than ever."

While the university did not say where Evans was headed, rumors are swirling that she will take a job at the University of Oregon if former Stanford men's coach and current Oberlin College athletic director, Vin Lananna, takes the Oregon job.