NEWS: Arkansas Hires Cale Wallace as Next Men's Head XC/Distance Coach

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Written by Aimee Mackenzie, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin

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Earlier today, the University of Arkansas announced that they have hired Cale Wallace to lead the Razorbacks' men’s distance program. Wallace, who previously led the women's distance squads at Iowa State, will be considered the head men's coach in cross country and will be considered an assistant coach (but head of men's distance) on the track.

In a press release, Wallace spoke about his hiring...

“It’s a true dream come true…When I started volunteering at Arkansas you always dream about coming back and getting to do the real thing and being in charge. It’s just a true dream come true.”

The Razorback alum made his mark in the coaching ranks this past fall in Ames, Iowa. There, he led the Iowa State women to the cross country national meet where they placed 20th overall, although they were ranked considerably higher than that throughout most of the season.

In their latest fall campaign, the Iowa State women earned a runner-up finish at the BIG 12 XC Championships and later claimed 3rd place at the Midwest regional meet. In addition to their 20th place national meet finish, the Cyclones finished the 2025 NCAA XC Championships with two individual All-American finishes.

Doug Case, Arkansas’ newest Director of Cross Country and Track & Field, also commented on Wallace's hiring...

“He’s alumni and a great athlete while he was here at Arkansas. He’s excited and we’re excited…We’ve hired a guy who has great experience at a very high level with both men and women…It’s the experience that counts when you look at somebody that can do these things.”

Wallace's background and prior experience with Iowa State should, in theory, pair well with the roster ethos of Arkansas' distance squad.

During his time in Ames, Wallace opted to recruit a handful of top distance stars from overseas such as Mercyline Kibet, Betty Kipkore and Mercy Kibet. Similarly, the Arkansas men have historically a heavy portion of their success from international distance standouts, making Wallace a strong coaching candidate as far as recruiting is concerned.

Iowa State and Arkansas are two programs that have also found strong success throughout the entire distance running spectrum, from 800 meters up to 10,000 meters. The well-rounded nature of the Cyclones' distance program should leave Wallace prepared to develop a wide array of talents on Arkansas' men's roster.