Bob Koppenol, an avid runner and ranked triathlete in New Jersey, enters his fifth year as Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach at Drew.
Koppenol has endured a tremendous amount of growth in the men's and women's teams. In 2010 he produced the program's first All-Conference runner in Steven Monteleone. In 2011 Jennifer Van Wingerden broke both the 4K and 6K school records. Van Wingerden went on to win the Landmark Conference Championship, ECAC Championship and became the first runner to qualify for NCAA National Championships in 2012. Koppenol has produced three All-Conference runners since taking over the program in 2009.
Koppenol’s unique path to the head coaching position began in 2006, following his retirement from a highly successful two-decade career on Wall Street. A Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Compliance Analyst at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch during his career, Koppenol left the finance industry to pursue his passion for running and triathlon by opening Starting Line Sports, an independent run, triathlon and swim specialty retailer in Madison.
A competitive runner and triathlete, he is consistently ranked in the New Jersey road race and triathlete Masters class. The position is Koppenol’s first as a collegiate coach, though he does have experience at the youth and Masters levels. He was a letter-winner with The College of New Jersey’s Track and Field and Cross Country teams and a member of TCNJ’s NJ College Marathon Championship squad. A native of Summit, NJ, Koppenol was a varsity letter winner at Summit High.
A long-time Madison resident, Koppenol resides in the Rose City with his wife, Sue, and three children, Spencer, Kelsey and Tim
