ARLINGTON, Texas – UT Arlington alumnus John Sauerhage, who has led UTA to 33 conference championships across men's and women's track and field/cross country during his decorated three-decade coaching career, has announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2026 outdoor track season.
 
"It's been an incredible ride, and we're not finished yet," Sauerhage said. "Of course, I'm very proud of all the conference championships we've won, but it's really about the relationships with the student-athletes and colleagues over the years. Getting to be a part of the student-athletes' lives and watch them succeed at UTA, graduate, grow up and live fulfilling lives is the thing I truly cherish."
 
Sauerhage, who took the reins of the UTA men's and women's track and field/cross country programs in 1995 following six years as an assistant coach, has been recognized as conference coach of the year an athletic department-record 33 times. Those league championships, which include crowns in the Southland Conference, Sun Belt Conference and Western Athletic Conference, are also the most won by any coach in any sport in school history.
 
Additionally, Sauerhage was named the 2007 Division I Outdoor Track and Field Men's South Central District Coach of the Year by the USTFCCCA. In 2013, Sauerhage was the only coach named to the Southland Conference's All-Time Indoor Track & Field Honor Roll on both the men's and women's side. The list honored the greatest athletes and coaches in the league's first 50 years.
 
"Coach Sauerhage is synonymous with not only UTA track, but UT Arlington as a whole," UTA Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jon Fagg said. "John has dedicated most of his life, from his time as a student-athlete to his tenure as an assistant coach and longtime head coach, to this university. He has positively impacted thousands of lives along the way, while making UTA a better place. We cannot thank he and his wife, Lisa, enough for their devotion to and love for our student-athletes."
 
His programs have achieved tremendous success in the classroom, as his men's and women's teams and individuals have been honored with All-Academic Team and Academic All-America accolades from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
 
His conference team championships have been well balanced, with the men winning seven indoor, six outdoor and six cross country titles, while the women have nabbed six indoor, four outdoor and four cross country crowns.
 
Sauerhage's success began immediately, as the Mavs claimed league championships in women's indoor, men's indoor and men's outdoor track in his first season. UTA followed that up by winning four conference titles (men's indoor, men's outdoor, women's indoor and women's cross country) in year two.
 
Four times his squads have collected conference "triple crowns" by sweeping the cross country, indoor and outdoor track championships in the same academic year. The women's team accomplished the feat in 1997-98 and again in 2000-01 in the Southland Conference. The men's team secured triple crowns in 2013-14 and 2016-17, a feat that had not previously been achieved in Sun Belt Conference history.
 
On three occasions, Sauerhage's teams earned the NCAA Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) National Team of the Year title as the nation's top-ranked track program at a school that does not sponsor football. The Mavs took that honor in 2018 (women's outdoor), 2021 (men's indoor) and 2022 (men's outdoor).
 
During his tenure, Sauerhage has coached 45 athletes who were named All-Americans. Highlighting the all-time list is Alexus Henry, who became the school's first female, and third-ever, national champion when she won the high jump title at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Since 1989, when he was serving as a UTA assistant and the head cross country coach, Sauerhage has coached 11 athletes to individual conference championships in cross country. UTA student-athletes have also won more than 100 league track titles in mid-distance and distance events ranging from the 800 meters to the 10,0000 meters.
 
"We have been able to build and sustain a level of excellence that put us among the best mid-major programs in the country thanks to the coaching staffs and administrators who have invested so much and believed in this program over the years," Sauerhage said.

UTA athletes have performed on the highest levels of international competition as well. Former athletes Emil Blomberg (for Sweden in 2021), Elston Cawley (for Jamaica in 1996), Jared Connaughton (for Canada in 2008 and 2012), Takeshi Fujiwara (for El Salvador in 2004) and Karin Olsson (for Sweden in 2002) have competed in the Olympic Games. Sauerhage has also coached five athletes who have earned trips to the IAAF World Championships.
 
In addition to his collegiate experience, Sauerhage also coached on the international level as the head coach of the El Salvadorian national team at the 2009 World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia.

Sauerhage began his collegiate athletic career at LSU, where he placed sixth in the Southeastern Conference in both the 1000-yard run and indoor mile. He also ran a personal-best time of 3:45.36 in the 1500 meters.

In 1982, he transferred to UT Arlington. As a member of the UTA track and field team, Sauerhage won the Southland Conference title in the mile and was a member of the school record-holding 6000-meter relay team. For more than 30 years, he ranked among the top five in UTA history in the 1500 meters in both indoor and outdoor with times of 3:51.50 and 3:49.35, respectively.

As a prep, Sauerhage was a six-time state qualifier for Arlington High School and won the Class 5A state title in the mile run in 1979. Sauerhage graduated from UT Arlington in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in physical education. He received a master's degree in education from Louisiana-Monroe in 1988 while serving as a graduate assistant coach.
 
To honor his years of service and commitment to UTA, all supporters are welcome to donate back to the program in Sauerhage's name at UTAMavs.com. All alumni and supporters are invited to attend a retirement celebration during the 2026 WAC Outdoor Championships, which will be held May 14-16 at Maverick Stadium.
 
"The program has been a huge part of my entire adult life," Sauerhage said. "I am forever thankful to Monte Stratton for recommending me for the head coaching job all those years ago. Now it's time to hand it off to the next generation to continue the success of UTA track."
 
Sauerhage is assisting in the search for the next head coach and the program will make an announcement when the coaching search process is completed. 
 
--www.utamavs.com--