DePaul University Athletics
Dave Dopek Receives Contract Extension as Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Through 2029
9/2/2025 3:00:00 PM | CROSS COUNTRY, TRACK AND FIELD
Extension highlights Dopek’s role in shaping DePaul Track & Field into consistent contender
CHICAGO – DePaul Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Dave Dopek has agreed to a contract extension through 2029, Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy announced Tuesday afternoon. A former NCAA Champion, DePaul Athletics Hall of Famer and 1996 graduate, Dopek enters his 29th season on staff with the program in 2025-26 and 16th as head coach. Dopek's extension through 2029 ensures the Blue Demons' continued rise as one of the BIG EAST's most competitive and nationally recognized track and field programs.
"Dave Dopek has been the heart of DePaul Track and Field and Cross Country for decades – as a student-athlete, an NCAA Champion and a leader who has dedicated his life to developing our student-athletes," said Peevy. "His commitment to building a championship culture while emphasizing academics, character and community is exactly what our Dream Big vision represents. I'm thrilled to extend his leadership as we continue raising the bar for success in the BIG EAST and beyond."
Dopek's extension comes on the heels of a landmark 2024-25 season, one of the most historic in program history. The Blue Demons men's and women's programs both finished runner-up at the 2025 BIG EAST Outdoor Championship, marking one of the program's strongest all-around team performances to date. That momentum carried onto the national stage where a school-record 11 athletes qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field First Round in College Station, Texas. Two of those athletes, Alex Bernstein and Darius Brown, advanced to the NCAA Outdoor National Championship in Eugene, Ore., highlighting the program's continued rise on the national scene. The event saw Brown earn his fourth All-American honor, the most in program history.
"I am excited to receive another contract extension and honored with the new title of Director of Cross Country/Track & Field," said Dopek. "Over my 15 years leading these programs, we have made steady progress and weathered many changes, each time coming out stronger. This is a unique moment in the NCAA and within our sport, and I believe our cross country and track & field programs are at an important inflection point. We have restructured our coaching staff with several talented additions, elevated Coach Geoff Wayton to Head Cross Country Coach, and expanded our roster with exceptional student-athletes, all in preparation for the next step in our team's evolution. I look forward to what the future holds and am sincerely grateful to DeWayne and our administration for their tireless work in putting our athletic department on this path."
DePaul track & field has seen a steady progression under Dopek's leadership, on both the regional and national stage. Over his 15 seasons as head coach, Dopek has led the Blue Demons to two BIG EAST team titles, 148 conference event champions, 82 NCAA Regional qualifiers, 20 NCAA Championship qualifiers and 12 All-Americans. Countless student-athletes have represented their country on the national or international stage, including 2024 Paralympic Gold Medalist Noelle Malkamaki and two-time Olympian, Tim Nedow. Under Dopek and his staff's tutelage, over 100 program records have been set across indoor, outdoor and cross country events.
Dopek's teams have built a reputation for producing NCAA qualifiers at a rate unmatched in program history, while also maintaining excellence in the classroom. The Blue Demons have received U.S. Track & Field Coaches Association All-Academic honors in each of Dopek's 15 seasons as head coach.
A Hall of Fame figure in DePaul Athletics, Dopek's impact on the program extends well beyond his coaching tenure. Dopek holds the distinct honor of being DePaul's only NCAA National Champion, winning the 200-meters at the 1995 NCAA Indoor Championship. As a student-athlete from 1992-96, he captured a total of seven individual Great Midwest Conference titles and was named DePaul's Most Valuabe Performer four times. His national resume includes a gold medal at the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival, a relay gold at the World University Games and a semifinal appearance at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials. In recognition of his outstanding career, Dopek was inducted into the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2024, Dopek received the prestigious recognition of becoming one of the first non-basketball athletes at DePaul to have his jersey retired.
"Dave Dopek has been the heart of DePaul Track and Field and Cross Country for decades – as a student-athlete, an NCAA Champion and a leader who has dedicated his life to developing our student-athletes," said Peevy. "His commitment to building a championship culture while emphasizing academics, character and community is exactly what our Dream Big vision represents. I'm thrilled to extend his leadership as we continue raising the bar for success in the BIG EAST and beyond."
Dopek's extension comes on the heels of a landmark 2024-25 season, one of the most historic in program history. The Blue Demons men's and women's programs both finished runner-up at the 2025 BIG EAST Outdoor Championship, marking one of the program's strongest all-around team performances to date. That momentum carried onto the national stage where a school-record 11 athletes qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field First Round in College Station, Texas. Two of those athletes, Alex Bernstein and Darius Brown, advanced to the NCAA Outdoor National Championship in Eugene, Ore., highlighting the program's continued rise on the national scene. The event saw Brown earn his fourth All-American honor, the most in program history.
"I am excited to receive another contract extension and honored with the new title of Director of Cross Country/Track & Field," said Dopek. "Over my 15 years leading these programs, we have made steady progress and weathered many changes, each time coming out stronger. This is a unique moment in the NCAA and within our sport, and I believe our cross country and track & field programs are at an important inflection point. We have restructured our coaching staff with several talented additions, elevated Coach Geoff Wayton to Head Cross Country Coach, and expanded our roster with exceptional student-athletes, all in preparation for the next step in our team's evolution. I look forward to what the future holds and am sincerely grateful to DeWayne and our administration for their tireless work in putting our athletic department on this path."
DePaul track & field has seen a steady progression under Dopek's leadership, on both the regional and national stage. Over his 15 seasons as head coach, Dopek has led the Blue Demons to two BIG EAST team titles, 148 conference event champions, 82 NCAA Regional qualifiers, 20 NCAA Championship qualifiers and 12 All-Americans. Countless student-athletes have represented their country on the national or international stage, including 2024 Paralympic Gold Medalist Noelle Malkamaki and two-time Olympian, Tim Nedow. Under Dopek and his staff's tutelage, over 100 program records have been set across indoor, outdoor and cross country events.
Dopek's teams have built a reputation for producing NCAA qualifiers at a rate unmatched in program history, while also maintaining excellence in the classroom. The Blue Demons have received U.S. Track & Field Coaches Association All-Academic honors in each of Dopek's 15 seasons as head coach.
A Hall of Fame figure in DePaul Athletics, Dopek's impact on the program extends well beyond his coaching tenure. Dopek holds the distinct honor of being DePaul's only NCAA National Champion, winning the 200-meters at the 1995 NCAA Indoor Championship. As a student-athlete from 1992-96, he captured a total of seven individual Great Midwest Conference titles and was named DePaul's Most Valuabe Performer four times. His national resume includes a gold medal at the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival, a relay gold at the World University Games and a semifinal appearance at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials. In recognition of his outstanding career, Dopek was inducted into the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2024, Dopek received the prestigious recognition of becoming one of the first non-basketball athletes at DePaul to have his jersey retired.
Players Mentioned
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