Since his arrival in 1993, Ben Paxton has served as the head coach for both men's and women's cross country and track and field programs. He is just the third cross country coach in school history and and is the only track and field head coach the program has had.
Paxton was named the Big South Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2001 after back-to-back men’s cross country titles for the Eagles. He was also named the outdoor track coach of the year in 1999 and 2004 and indoor track coach of the year in 2000.
Prior to coaching at Winthrop, Paxton served as the head track/cross country coach at Old Dominion University from 1989-1992. While at ODU, Paxton coached the Monarchs to a runner-up finish in the CAA, narrowly losing to 11th ranked William and Mary. That same year saw the Monarchs finish 10th in the Southeast NCAA District, their highest finish ever. Paxton coached athletes who set every school record from the 800 meters to the 10,000 meters. Coach Paxton also worked with Craig Cesar, the 8th ranked 800 meter runner in the United States and a two-time SEC champion.
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The Eagle cross country and track and field programs have grown under Paxton’s tutelage. Along with two Big South titles in cross country, the women's team owns Big South records in the both indoor and outdoor short sprints. The women's cross country team has also captured five conference titles in the 4 X 100 relays, including the all-time Big South record of 45.86 at the 2004 NCAA East Regionals.
Paxton has guided seven Eagles to the NCAA championships; Jeff Greene (1994), Adam Growley (2000), Octavia Goode (2004), Jason Williams and Matthew Elliott (2008), Ashley Howard (2010), and Marthaline Cooper (2015, 2016). During Paxton’s tenure, the Eagles have captured 59 individual titles, 10 relay titles, two team championships, and more than 300 athletes earned All-Big South honors. Paxton has also worked with two Olympians, 1988 Marathon runner Margaret Gross and 1992 1,500 meter runner Terrance Herrington.
He is serving his third four-year appointment to the NCAA Track and Field Committee where he served as chair for both the 2004 NCAA outdoor championships at the University of Texas and the 2004 NCAA cross country championships in Terre Haute, IN
Paxton, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University. He and his wife Wendy have two children, Gabriel, a graduate of Winthrop, and Olivia, a member of the Winthrop cross country/track team.
