Courtesy of Chestnut Hill College Athletics

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (July 25, 2019) – Chestnut Hill College Director of Athletics and Recreation Jesse Balcer is pleased to welcome Daryl Nelson as GriffinNation's new Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach. "Daryl has both the experience and moral character we were looking for in our search. He has had the opportunity to play and coach at the (NCAA) DI level, he understands the rigors and issues our student-athletes deal with. Combine that with his personality and knowledge, I am confident he will build a program that Chestnut Hill College will be proud of for years to come."
 
A former head track coach at Manor College and assistant track and field coach at Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) rival, the University of the Sciences (USciences), Nelson possess 20-plus years of extensive experience in track and field competition that also includes appointments at his alma mater, St. John Neumann High School (currently Saint John Neumann and Saint Maria Goretti High School). Appreciative of having his first opportunity to serve as a collegiate head coach, Nelson commented, "I believe in developing the student-athletes to be the very best that they can be in the classroom and on the track. I will do my best to do that here, at Chestnut Hill College. Let's go GriffinNation!"
 
Charged with mentoring USciences' sprinters and throwers, Coach Nelson joined the USciences men's and women's track and field programs as an assistant to Head Coach Rich DiGiacomo prior to their inaugural season of 2018. Under his guidance, the Devils' women earned 11 of their 14 points (10^th of 10, 14 points) at the 2018 CACC Track and Field Championships in the Discus (4 points), Hammer (1), Shot Put (4), and 4x100-Meter Relay (2). A year later, in 2019, freshman McKayla Kelly (Holland, Pa.) became the Devils' first female All-CACC honoree with a second place finish in the Shot Put (11.4 meters).
 
Nelson earned his United States of America Track and Field (USATF) Level 1 Certification and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Coaching Certification while serving as the head track and field coach at Saint John Neumann High School from 1997 to 2000. Years later, in 2006, he transitioned to collegiate athletics, taking on responsibilities as the defensive back and special teams coach with La Salle University's Division I football program. Nelson returned to the track and field forum in 2013 as the head track and field coach at Boys Latin High School, where he produced All-Pennsylvania State performers in the 4x100-Meter Relay (28^th out of 550 teams). He resumed coaching at the collegiate level three years later with his 2016 appointment at USciences.
 
A life-long educator, Nelson's professional work experience also includes teaching positions at Cornerstone Christian Academy (1994-1998), Raising Horizon Quest Charter School (2003-2006), Communities in Schools Education Center (2016-2017), and West Oak Lane Charter School (2017-2018), Camelot North High School (2018-present). He additionally served as the District 8 (West Philadelphia) Manager for the City of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department from 1994 to 2016.
 
Nelson is a member of the St. John Neumann High School Hall of Fame for both football and track and field. He earned his bachelor's degree in sports and recreation management from Temple University in 1994. A four-year letter winner, he played strong safety for the Owls before signing a professional contract in Taiwan's United Football League. Nelson earned a master's in multicultural education from Eastern University in 2003.

ABOUT THE CACC
The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference composed of 14 institutions in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The member institutions are Bloomfield College, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Concordia (N.Y.) College, Dominican (N.Y.) College, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University), Nyack College, Post University of Waterbury, University of the Sciences, and Wilmington University.