Joe Koch
Contact Coach Koch
E-mail: jkoch@po-box.esu.edu
Phone: (570) 422-3054
 Joe Koch was named the Men's Track & Field Coach of the Year by both the PSAC and the USTFCCCA (Atlantic Region) after guiding the Warriors to a second-place finish with a school record 137 points at the 2009 PSAC outdoor championships.
Koch completed his 21st year as head track and field coach at East Stroudsburg University and his 23rd year overall at the school during the 2008-09 season. He was the head coach of both the men's and women's track and field teams for 17 seasons and turned the reigns of the women's program over to longtime assistant coach Chris Merli prior to the 2006-07 season. He has also been the head cross country coach for 22 years.
Koch's track and field athletes have enjoyed a tremendous amount of success over the past two decades. The track program has produced 38 All-Americans, and high jumper and current assistant coach Karen (Way) Gaita is the Warriors' lone national champion under Koch, winning the title in 1991.
Koch was chosen as the NCAA Women's Track & Field Regional Coach of the Year and the ECAC Division II Co-Women's Coach of the Year in 2001. Koch was the ECAC Men's Coach of the Year in 1990 when his squad won the ECAC indoor championships. He was also honored as the ECAC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1995 and the PSAC Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1994.
Koch has been the women's cross country coach since 1987 and took over the men's program in 1989. He has sent 17 individual runners and two teams (1989 men and 1999 women) to the NCAA Division II championships. Jan Blake, Tina Vosper and Vanessa Andes have combined for four All-America honors.
The Hackensack, N.J. native ran track and field and cross country for four years at the University of Delaware and was captain of the Blue Hens' cross country team as a senior in 1979. Koch lives in East Stroudsburg with his wife Deborah, son Matthew Edward (15) and daughter Kristen Joann (13).
Chris Merli
Contact Coach Merli
E-mail: cmerli@po-box.esu.edu
Phone: (570) 422-3249
 Chris Merli is in his third year as the head women's track and field coach at East Stroudsburg University and his 12th year as a coach at ESU.
Merli was named the Men's Track & Field Atlantic Region Assistant Coach of the Year following the 2009 outdoor season. He was a full-time assistant coach in both track and field and cross country and continues to work with the Warriors' athletes in both sports.
At track and field practices, Merli works primarily with the sprinters and hurdlers. His athletes have broken numerous school records, won conference titles and All-America honors at the NCAA championships during his decade on the staff. In 2009, Andrew McCloskey won the 100 and 200 meters at the PSAC outdoor championships, hurdler Rusty Smith won both indoor and outdoor titles and the men's 4x100 relay team qualified for the NCAA championships for the first time in school history.
Merli also takes care of all the equipment and facilities needs for the team. He organizes the home meets in Koehler Fieldhouse and Eiler-Martin Stadium and hires and supervises officials and other meet personnel.
Merli has USA Track and Field Level II certification. He was a head track and field coach at Red Bank, N.J. Catholic and an assistant at Pocono Mountain high schools, and ran on four ACC championship teams at the University of Maryland. He is a 1975 graduate of Monmouth University. Merli and his wife, Theresa, have been married 34 years and have four children and one grandchild.
Karen Gaita
A former NCAA high jump champion and 1991 graduate of East Stroudsburg University, Karen (Way) Gaita is regarded as one of the nation's most knowledgeable jumping coaches. She is in her 12th season as an assistant coach at ESU. She was also an assistant coach at Army.
Gaita's jumpers have earned PSAC titles in four of the last nine years, and high jumper Mike Newhard was a two-time Division II All-American. Lynn Mayer was an indoor and outdoor All-American as a freshman in 2008, and Leslie Martin was an indoor All-American in 2007. Mayer and Janelle Smith have competed at the NCAA championships three times in the last two years.
Gaita was a four-time All-American at ESU won the high jump at the 1991 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a leap of 5-9. She finished second in the 1991 NCAA indoor and 1990 outdoor meets. She tied for fifth in the 1990 indoor meet. She also won three PSAC and five ECAC titles and is the ESU record holder at 5-10 outdoors and 5-9 1/4 indoors. She qualified for the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic trials and has a career best of 6-1 3/4.
Gaita is a teacher in the Easton School District. She and her husband, Brian, have three daughters - Aspen (12), Riley (9) and Giana (7).
James Morrison
James Morrison is in his ninth year as an assistant track and field coach at East Stroudsburg.
His responsibilities include working with the Warriors' throwers and multi-event athletes. He has coached Paul Wagner to two PSAC championships in the hammer and weight throw and All-America status in the hammer, and has also coached ESU All-American javelin throwers Barry Krammes and Dan Gale.
At Manhattan, Morrison was a two-time Metropolitan Intercollegiate champion in the 35-pound weight throw and was also an IC4A qualifier. He was captain of the track team in 1982.
Morrison has continued his career as a thrower in Master's competitions and teaches physical education in Hackettstown High School in Hackettstown, N.J. He and his wife Mary reside in Dingman's Ferry, Pa. and have three children - William (23), Erin (20) and Mary Kate (19).
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