On Wednesday afternoon, Mario Sategna was introduced as the new men’s and women’s track and field head coach of the University of Texas. Tonja Buford-Bailey was also announced as the new associate head coach for the Longhorns.



After ten years of coaching at the University of Illinois, Buford-Bailey will oversee the sprints, hurdles and relays to go along with administrative duties. Her expertise extends as far back as her days as an Illini athlete, when she made the 1996 Olympic team and won a bronze medal.

“My first objective was to get the ball rolling on who finding an associate head coach,” Sategna said. “I knew who I wanted in that position and luckily for us and the university, we were able to get the No. 1 person and that was Tonja.”

Meanwhile, the search continues for a coach to oversee the the men’s and women’s distance runners. Coach Sategna said staff members from the Bubba Thornton era will be considered for the job. John Hayes was the men’s distance coach in 2012-2013, while Stephen Sisson oversaw the women. 

Sategna cited the success of Leo Manzano as one of the most positive signs of the Texas distance program. The men’s program has seen a resurgence since Jason Vigilante arrived as the head coach from 2000 to 2008. Hayes also made the move from the women’s team to the men’s team after 2004.

“We don’t want to get away from the things that have made us great. We just need to add to those, so we can not just be vying for conference titles or being in the top 10 or top five. We have to make sure that we’re pushing the limit to try and win a national title and light that tower.”

There is no rush to fill the other coaching openings as several athletes have post-season commitments at the World University Games and the Pan-American Junior Championship. 

Sategna becomes the first head coach to oversee a staff with a combined men’s and women’s team.

“In this new realm of a combined program, we want to write our own chapter,” Sategna said.

What about Ashley Spencer?