Dr. Bill Taraschke is in his 25th year of coaching cross country at Baldwin-Wallace College in the fall of 2008. Last fall, Taraschke led the Yellow Jacket women's cross country team to the Ohio Athletic Conference title. For their efforts, Taraschke and Assistant Coach Steve Virgilio are the 2007 OAC Women's Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year.
Under Taraschke's tutelage, the Yellow Jacket men's and women's track and field and men's and women's cross country programs continue to be among the finest in Division III. In addition to coaching, Taraschke is a professor in B-W's Division of Health and Physical Education.
Entering the 2008 indoor track season, Taraschke has coached 45 teams to Ohio Athletic Conference titles (11 in cross country, including this season, and 34 in track). Taraschke has been named as the OAC Coach of the Year 34 times and NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year 12 times. In both 1997 and 2002, he was selected as the NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track Coach of the Year.
Taraschke has coached track at B-W during his entire 25 years. Prior to becoming cross country coach, Taraschke was the offensive backfield and kicking coach for the Yellow Jacket football team for eight seasons.
A two-time Mid American Conference discus champion, Taraschke was the head track and field coach and defensive coordinator at Chadron State College in Nebraska before coming to B-W. Taraschke previously was a head coach at Milan, Ohio Edison High School (1966-69), Canton, Ohio Glenoak High School (1969-71) and Brookside, Ohio High School (1971-75).
Taraschke is a member of the NCAA Track Coaches Association; the NCAA Division III Track & Field Rules Committee; the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; a number of educational honor societies; and has been a guest lecturer at numerous track and field clinics. Taraschke has served as the NCAA Division III national meet director twice and has been the track meet director for the Ohio State Games.
Taraschke received his undergraduate degree from Ohio University in 1964, his master's degree from Southern Illinois in 1966 and his doctorate in exercise physiology from the University of Toledo in 1984.
To contact Head Coach Bill Taraschke, please call him at 440-826-3322 or e-mail him at wtarasch@bw.edu.
Eric Schmuhl '05 is in his first season of coaching at Baldwin-Wallace in 2008-2009. Coach Schmuhl will be in charge of recruiting as well as coaching the jumpers and combined events athletes for B-W's track and field program .
Schmuhl, who earned an undergraduate degree in education at B-W, returns to the College after spending the past year as a graduate assistant coach for track and cross country at Muskingum College, where he earned his Master’s of Arts in Education. In addition to his coaching duties, he was in charge of recruiting and building the strength and conditioning program for the track and cross country teams. In one season at Muskingum, Schmuhl coached four OAC Champions including one athlete who broke three school records en route to qualifying for the NCAA Division III outdoor championships.
Prior to coaching at the collegiate level, Schmuhl was an assistant coach for track and cross country for three years at his high school alma mater, Medina Senior High School in Medina, Ohio. While at Medina Senior, Schmuhl coached the Bees to three straight Conference and District Team Championships as well as the 2006 Regional Team Championship that included five individual champions and three regional record-breakers. In that span, Schmuhl also coached his runners to 13 OHSAA championship meet appearances, nine school records, four Medina County Records, and 15 All-Ohio honors.
Schmuhl, a 2001 graduate of Medina Senior High School, was a 2001 OHSAA State qualifier in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles and a two-year team captain in track.
At B-W, Schmuhl ran four years of indoor and outdoor track under Taraschke and earned eight varsity letters. He was an NCAA Division III National qualifier for outdoor track in 2004 and 2005 and the 2004 OAC champion in 400-meter intermediate hurdles. He was also a seven-time All-OAC honoree, a 2005 honorable mention Academic All-OAC selection and a three-time Vance Carter Award Winner as the Most Outstanding Male Hurdler. Schmuhl has a USATF Level 1 coaching certification and currently serves as a trustee and clinic instructor to the Greater Medina Track Club, Inc.
To contact Coach Schmuhl, please call him in his office at 440-826-2009 or e-mail him at eschmuhl@bw.edu
275 Eastland Rd.