Nathan Ott comes to Abilene Christian in the midst of an outstanding career as a Throws Coach. Immediately before joining ACU, Ott spent three years as the Assistant Coach for Throws at Penn State. During his coaching career, Ott has coached All-Americans in each of the throwing events – indoors and outdoors. In his three years at Penn State, Ott mentored a pair of First Team All-Americans (Mallory Kauffman and Tyler Merkley) and coached athletes who broke three school records. During his time at Penn State, Ott coached throwers to 17 All-Big 10 spots.
Coach Ott has also had tremendous success with throwers in the post-collegiate world.
These throwers include Brooke Andersen (2 nd in the U.S.A. championships hammer throw last month and the 2022 World Champion in the hammer), Nayoka Clunis (Jamaican national hammer throw champ), Beatrice Llano (Norwegian national hammer throw champ and a 2024 Olympian), and Stamatia Scarvelis (Greek national hammer throw champ and 2024 Olympian). When Clunis qualified for the 2023 World Championships 2023, she became the first Jamaican in history to go to the championships in that event.
Before Penn State, Ott spent a season at former WAC foe Grand Canyon University, where he coached Israel Oloyede to the best collegiate hammer throw of the year (sixth-best of all-time) to take fifth place at the USATF Championships. Ott coached Oloyede to a second-team All-American selection and a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the weight throw during the indoor track season. Ott also mentored Marten Gasparini to an NCAA Championships qualification in the javelin throw during his time at GCU. From 2018 to 2021, Ott was at Kansas State as the throws coach. He guided seven NCAA Division-I All-American athletes in women's hammer, men's hammer, women's weight, and women's discus. Ott produced four Big 12 Champions and multiple runner-up finishers. In 2019, he was named Midwest Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year.
Before Ott's time at Kansas State, he spent 2014-18 at Northern Arizona as the throws coach. He coached another seven NCAA Division-I All-American athletes, including NCAA Championship runner-up Andersen and five-time Canadian National Champion Adam Keenan.
Ott graduated from Southern Utah University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education, with an emphasis on coaching. Ott was an accomplished student-athlete at Southern Utah, where he once held the school record in the hammer throw (now second overall) and is fifth overall in shot put. During the 2006 season, he qualified for regionals in hammer throw and was the leading scorer in the squad's victory at the outdoor Summit League Championships. After graduation, Ott spent his first years in coaching at his alma mater, where he coached throws from 2007 to 2013. He also served a short stint at Texas State before heading to Kansas State.
At ACU, Coach Ott will inherit a young, up-and-coming throws squad. Returnees for the women include All-Conference performer, Sterling Glenn (Shot put, hammer throw); All-Conference thrower Avery Myrick (weight throw, discus throw); and Mariana Van Dyk. The lone returnee for the men will be All-Conference Rylan Smart (hammer throw, weight throws). Newcomers for the women include TAPPS state champion Ella Cockrum (Willow Park Trinity Christian) and state champion Ciara Tilley (Refugio). The men's new additions include NJCAA national weight throw champion Rhet Punt (Estonia/Garden City CC), UIL 6A third-place discus finisher Matthew Udemba (Colleyville Heritage), and nationally ranked discus thrower Justin Smithey (Waxahachie). Ott will also work with WAC decathlon champion Canaan Fairley and All-Conference heptathletes Natalie Poe and Nele Huth on the throwing events.
Coach Ott is originally from Cedar City, Utah. He is married to Jessica and has three sons – Kallan, Kohen, and Kainen.
Coaching Career
2025 – Abilene Christian University (Assistant Coach – Throws)
2022-2025 – Penn State (Assistant Coach – Throws)
2021-22 – Grand Canyon (Assistant Coach – Throws)
2018-21 – Kansas State (Assistant Coach – Throws)
2014-18 – Northern Arizona (Assistant Coach – Throws)
2013-14 – Texas State (Assistant Coach – Throws)
2007-13 – Southern Utah (Assistant Coach – Throws)
Coach Miles Smith on the hiring of Nathan Ott: "Coach Nathan Ott is a rare find and will be a huge part of how we will be successful. His resume is sure to attract the high school athletes we are targeting. He comes with high-level post-collegiate athletes who will help enhance the face and energy of ACU throws. I'm even more impressed with the kind of person he is. He brings a beautiful young family and has a heart to serve others. He'll be right at home here at ACU. We're blessed to have him. The future is bright and it's Purple and White!"
