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NEWS: Ole Miss Hires Brandon Hazouri as Next Associate & Head Distance Coach
- Jonah Billings
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Written by Jonah Billings, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin
Yesterday, Ole Miss announced the hiring of Brandon Hazouri as the program's next Associate Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track and Field Coach. Hazouri previously worked as an Assistant Coach at Wake Forest University where he also led recruiting efforts.
Hazouri’s hiring comes in the wake of Adam Smith's, the Rebels' former Associate Head Coach, unexpected departure to William & Mary after four years at the helm of Ole Miss' distance programs.
"We are excited to welcome Brandon to our staff," Ole Miss Director Connie Price-Smith said in a statement. "He has had great success at each stop during his career in recruiting and coaching top tier student-athletes, and we look forward to the impact he will have on our cross country and distance programs."
During his time at Wake Forest, Hazouri worked alongside Director John Hayes to guide one of the NCAA’s premier men's cross country programs. During his tenure with the Demon Deacons, the men's team racked up three top-10 finishes at the NCAA XC Championships.
Hazouri also developed a strong record of success with middle distance athletes on the track. A few examples include Thomas Vanoppen, the 2022 ACC champion over 1500 meters, as well as 800-meter program record holder, Rynard Swanepoel.
In theory, that prior middle distance experience should make Hazouri an ideal fit for Ole Miss. The Rebel men, in particular, have seen immense success with their 800-meter event groups over the last decade. Just this past spring, Max Armstrong (1:46), Chase Rose (1:46) and Carson Turner (1:47) each cracked the 1:48 barrier over the half-mile distance.
"It's a tremendous honor to have been given the opportunity to lead this group of young men and women," Hazouri said in the Rebels' press release. "I want to thank Coach Connie Price-Smith for her trust and belief in my ability to help contribute to the overall vision of the Ole Miss track & field team."
The Rebels enter the 2026-27 academic year expecting to lose multiple men from their 2025 cross country lineup which qualified for the NCAA XC Championships (where they placed 22nd overall). Those expected departures include Toby Gillen, Evan Thornton-Sherman and Marco Perez, as well as key standouts on the track names such as Aiden Britt, Chase Rose, Carson Turner, etc.
The Ole Miss men do, however, return Kidus Misgina, a top cross country talent who has run times of 13:31 (5k) and 28:17 (10k). He has also qualified for multiple NCAA Championships across all three seasons of competition.
The Ole Miss women will also be looking for a rebound cross country season after failing to make it to the national meet both last fall and the year before. The Lady Rebels did, however, qualify for the NCAA XC Championships as a team in 2023 and earned their best-ever finish of 10th place on that stage in the fall of 2021.