The Nittany Lions captured a Wildcat last week with the hiring of new assistant distance running coach John Gondak.
Gondak, who spent nearly a decade at the University of Kentucky, will join Beth Alford-Sullivan in a groundbreaking time for Penn State cross country and track and field.
With Alford-Sullivan becoming the first coach at Penn State to be in control of all six teams in the fall, winter, and spring, a qualified assistant was necessary to help run the program that trains so many student-athletes year round.
"He's really passionate about Penn State," Alford-Sullivan said. "It's very important for any coach on our staff. He's had great experience with other successful programs in the SEC. He's got the right picture, the whole package for [the job]."
Gondak, who was born in Doylestown, Pa., has always had his eyes on Penn State.
"It's a fantastic opportunity Coach Sullivan has provided me with," Gondak said. "I grew up in Doylestown and both my parents went to Penn State. I grew up in a Penn State household, so it's a tremendous opportunity and awesome to wear the gear of the school you grew up rooting for."
In addition to his coaching ability, Gondak has experience in the other aspect of the job that is so vital in maintaining any sports program.
Gondak, who was a walk-on for Syracuse in the early 90s, has a talent in recruiting middle distance runners, bringing in numerous athletes to Kentucky who went on to win many collegiate awards while under his wing.
"I think he stands out," Alford-Sullivan said. "He's going to be working with recruiting and coaching. It's really a two-pronged approach."
After an intensive interview process and talking to numerous candidates, the person that best fit into the goals of the program was chosen, Alford-Sullivan said.
"I think it's a good fit because Coach Sullivan wants to be good in all three sports," Gondak said. "I think our philosophies are the same. It really allows everyone to be on the same page. It's the way to be successful in all three seasons."
The method at which the newly unified program at Penn State will work to maintain the caliber of the women's teams and move the men's side up the ladder of the Big Ten appears simple. The key is to bring in runners who are able to compete in a variety of events, Gondak said.
With an abundance of athletes capable of running distance in cross country and then moving onto the middle distance events for indoor and outdoor track, the program should be versatile enough to compete at the national level.
Since Gondak's hiring, runners for both the men's and women's teams have continued their summer training under coach Alford-Sullivan, but will have to wait until the end of August to train under Gondak.
"Right now Coach Sullivan is structuring the training for both teams," said Gondak, who helped manage both the men's and women's teams at Kentucky. "I'm going to help her through the transition of combing programs. She sent me the summer training and I've looked at it, but I haven't talked to the athletes about it yet."
Even without any influence on the runners in Happy Valley yet, his father David Gondak, a Penn State alumnus, is still pleased with his son's next stop in his coaching career.
"He's very interested in coaching, and he puts his heart and soul into it," David Gondak said. "We're really excited that this opportunity came up for him at this point. We're looking forward to having him closer to home than he was before."
With the location at which John Gondak will now reside being so familiar, it's not difficult for him to forget how special his job at Penn State truly is.
"Penn State is a place where a lot of coaches across the country say that, 'It would be a great place to work,' " he said.
