CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Dr. G. Anthony Grant, Director of Athletics and DAPER Department Head at MIT, has announced the hiring of Dan Schuman as Head Men's and Women's Cross Country/Assistant Track and Field Coach and Physical Education and Wellness Instructor. Schuman will join the MIT community on August 31, 2026.
"Dan brings an impressive combination of competitive excellence and a proven track record of success as a coach and former student-athlete to our national-caliber MIT cross country and track and field programs," said Dr. Grant. "His success at Johns Hopkins demonstrates his ability to build and sustain nationally competitive programs in an academically rigorous environment. His coaching philosophy of developing each athlete as an individual while fostering a deep passion for the sport aligns with our commitment to supporting the whole student. We are excited to welcome Dan to the MIT community."
Schuman comes to Cambridge after two successful seasons on the cross country and three successful seasons on the track and field coaching staff at Johns Hopkins University. Schuman coached 43 track All-Americans and seven cross country All-Americans at Hopkins, as the Blue Jays' coaching staff earned Centennial Conference coaching staff of the year honors in both cross country and track and field in 2025 and 2026. Most recently, Schuman coached the Hopkins women's mid distance squad at the NCAA outdoor championships, where eight Blue Jays earned All-American honors as Schuman was subsequently named the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Regional Assistant Coach of the Year.
"I'm extremely excited and grateful to Dr. G. Anthony Grant, Julie Heyde, and everyone involved in the search process for providing this incredible opportunity to lead the men's and women's cross country and distance programs at MIT," said Schuman. "The mission of MIT and goals of the MIT student-athletes to achieve tremendous success both academically and athletically match perfectly with who I am and what I believe as a former student-athlete and current coach."
Prior to arriving at Hopkins, Schuman served as the head track and field and cross country coach at the DC International School in Washington DC, where he coached the boys and girls team to the school's first ever PCSAA Championship. Prior to his time in collegiate coaching, Schuman spent more than a decade as a successful high school coach while pursuing a career in teaching. He helped develop multiple high school All-Americans and started three different track programs from scratch at Yeshiva High Tech (Los Angeles), Lincoln High School (Seattle), and The Buckley School (Los Angeles). Schuman also spent a year as the head cross country coach of TASIS England, where he led the Boys program to an ISST Varsity Championship.
"The excitement, experience, and expertise Dan brings, combined with his deep understanding of the student-athlete and what it takes to foster individual growth and team success, make him the ideal coach to lead our men's and women's teams," added Julie Heyde, MIT's Director of Track and Field and Cross Country and Track and Field Head Coach at MIT. "We are thrilled to welcome Dan to our program and look forward to all he will accomplish with our athletes, both this year and for many years to come."
A four-year member of Duke University's cross country and track & field teams from 1993-97, Schuman was a four-time Academic All-ACC honoree and three-time ACC Finalist for the Blue Devils. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy Psychology from Duke in 1997 before going on to earn his Master of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego in 2002. Schuman is USATF Level 1 and 2 certified coach.Â
"With my coaching philosophy of taking each athlete as an individual to maximize his or her potential, while ensuring a love for the sport that has been my lifeblood, I am ready expand upon the wonderful success that MIT has already achieved on the national stage," said Schuman. "The team and I are ready to build a dynasty worthy of the MIT name."
