Berry Joins Essex

NEWARK , NJ – ESSEX CC head track and field coach Lionel Leach announced Monday the hiring of Bruce Berry as the program's newest assistant track and field coach.

Berry comes to Essex with a wealth of experience coaching at the high school and collegiate levels. He began his career with Clemson University as an assistant for sprints, hurdles, jumps, and relays.  In his three years there he coached 14 All-Americans before taking the position of Head Coach at Elizabeth High School in New Jersey. As the cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field head coach, Berry compiled three New Jersey State Championships and seven Union County Coach of the Year honors in his six years at the helm.

From there, Berry returned to the Division I collegiate scene as an assistant at the University of Akron. In that three season stint, he helped guide 22 NCAA Regional qualifiers and 11 All-Americans. Berry's next stop was another assistant position in the Atlantic Coast Conference with Virginia Tech where he spent four seasons and oversaw another 21 NCAA Regional qualifiers and six All-Americans.

Finally, Berry made his way back to the high school coaching ranks with a move to Newark where he has been the head cross country and track & field coach at Central High School since 2007. Under his guidance, the teams have racked up 12 Essex County First Team All-County honors and six State Championships.

"We're excited to add coach Berry expertise and eagerness to our program," Leach said. "The NJCAA Region 19 is a highly competitive league, and the addition of Coach Berry will help make us an equally competitive program week in and week out."

Berry is currently USATF Level certified in sprints, hurdles and relays.