Jose Larios - Head Coach - 3rd Season
Head Coach
828-669-8011 x 3425
863-528-6294 (cell)
Larios begins his third year as the head coach of cross country
and track and field at Montreat College. Coach Larios has been
instrumental in driving the Cavaliers toward the top of the Appalachian
Athletic Conference. In just two season, Larios' teams have earned the
AAC runner-up trophy, while qualifying six student-athletes for the
NAIA XC Championships, as well as eight track & field national
qualifiers.
Larios comes to Montreat College after six years as
the Director of Track & Field Operations at Warner Southern
College. Larios also served as the Head Cross Country Coach, along
with Assistant Director of the Academic Skills Center and assistant
English instructor.
A native of Frostproof, Florida, Larios excelled in a variety of
sports. It was distance running however that led Larios to Warner
Southern College as a cross country runner. From 1993 to 1997, Larios
was instrumental in WSC's two consecutive Florida Sun Conference titles
and back-to-back NAIA National Cross Country Championship appearances.
Upon earning his bachelors in English and Secondary Education, he began
his coaching passion as an assistant coach with Lake Wales High
School's cross country and track programs, ultimately being named Head
Coach of the Highlanders in 1998. From '98 to '00 Coach Larios led the
Highlanders of Lake Wales to county, district, and regional
championships.
In 2000, Larios began his coaching assignment at Warner Southern
College and immediately led the Runnin' Royals to a worst-to-first
Florida Sun Conference Cross Country Championship, the first of four
consecutive conference and NAIA Region XIV Championships. The Lady
Royals also earned three consecutive cross country titles of their
own. Larios' teams also garnered five track & field
conference/regional titles. Within a short six year period, the Royals
hit the national scene; Coach Larios' teams produced two NAIA National
Outdoor individual titles and two national runner-ups. All in all,
Larios' teams earned 23 All-American accolades, 96 All-Conference and
All-Region awards, and earned a final 13th place NAIA National Ranking
at the 2003 cross country finals.
Voted NAIA Region XC/TF Coach of the Year nine different times,
Larios also earned one of the NAIA's National MONDO Southeast Region
Coach of the Year honors when his men's cross country team finished
13th at the cross country finals.
Jose Larios and his wife
Heather currently reside in Black Mountain with their three daughters,
Hannah (6), Emma (4), and Sara (2).