Tolsma maintains standard of excellence
Under the leadership of one coach, the Liberty Flames cross-country and track and field teams have recorded 47 Coach of the Year awards, 87 conference titles and 48 All-American athletes.
Head Coach Brant Tolsma is the longest-tenured coach at Liberty University, and he has grown the cross-country and track programs from their early stages. Tolsma earned his doctorate in the biomechanics of sport from Indiana University before beginning his coaching career at Campbell University, where he was the head track coach from
1979-1986.
Full trophy Case — Head Track Coach Brant Tolsma will need a larger trophy case with the addition of his 47th Coach of the Year Award. Photo credit: Timothy Sutton
Tolsma first came to Liberty in 1986 as the men’s track and field head coach. By 1991, he had taken over the men and women’s track and field and cross-country programs.
“I wanted to be in a program that was a national-contender type program, but we were far away from that 27 years ago,” Tolsma said. “Even along the way, even though we didn’t have the things that other schools would have, God blessed us with some amazing blessings through the years. … We had a sense that things were going to happen as a team down the road.”
With the team’s success came recognition for Tolsma. Along with the 47 Coach of the Year awards between the two sports, he also earned two NCAA District Coach of the Year awards.
“Coach of the Year is kind of funny. It’s really the team if you think about it,” Tolsma said. “Usually, the winning team wins Coach of the Year. I don’t think anyone aspires to be the coach of the year, but if someone asked me how to, I’d say, ‘Just get your team to win.’ If your team finishes in last, your chances of getting Coach of the Year are slim to none.”
In recent years, the Flames have been recognized in both sports coached by Tolsma. This season, the men’s and women’s cross-country teams earned Big South titles. The men have won eight consecutive championships. The women earned their fifth championship in the last seven years.
Legacy — Tolsma has built strong cross-country and track programs. Photo credit: Ruth Bibby
“I’m thankful for all the years I had working here,” Tolsma said of Liberty. “It’s been a lot of fun. Not without heartache, but a lot of fun.”
The track team will begin its season Nov. 30 with the Liberty Kickoff event. The team will be able to use the recently-resurfaced track that is in its final stages of
renovation.
Tolsma is excited for the new state-of-the-art track, which he says will help recruit new athletes.
The facility, which is being renovated by Beynon Sports Surfaces, will feature eight 48-inch lanes as well as expanded field event capabilities.