Peter Early was selected as the first Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at Saint Anselm College on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022.
His hire came just weeks after the announcement of four new varsity sports, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field. Early will be charged with the formation of those four programs and will begin recruiting immediately in advance of the first varsity seasons in 2023-24.
An experienced coach at the NCAA Division II level, Early joined Saint Anselm from fellow Northeast-10 Conference member Assumption University where he was the Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field Coach. With the Greyhounds since May 2021, Early helped the men’s cross country team secure its best finish at the NE10 Championship, hosted by Saint Anselm this past Fall.
Prior to his stint at Assumption, Early was the Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at Coker University for three seasons. He previously played a pivotal role in the formation of the men’s and women’s track & field programs at Merrimack College. He joined the Warriors as a coach shortly after the formation of their NCAA Division II teams in 2010-11, departing for Coker in 2018.
Across a coaching career that spans over a decade, Early has mentored over 50 All-Region award recipients, had 40 student-athletes earn qualifying marks in NCAA Division II, and developed 23 All-Americans. 20 of his student-athletes captured league championships and he also coached Carly Muscaro, a six-time National Champion at Merrimack in the 200m/400m.
Early received the United States Track Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association’s National Assistant Coach of the Year award in 2016-17. Also picking up East Region Assistant Coach of the Year honors, Early was honored for his work with the first two individual competitors from Merrimack to qualify for Nationals.
A 2011 graduate of Merrimack with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Early was a member of both the football and track & field programs with the Warriors, earning All-Academic Team placement. As a student-athlete, Early secured All-New England plaudits in the 4x100 meter relay and captained the first men’s track & field team at Merrimack.
Early received a master’s degree in College Athletic Administration in 2020 from Coker. He resides in Haverhill, Mass. with his wife, Andrea, and two children, Peter and Madelynn.
