Carnegie Mellon University Men's Cross Country

Connelly joined the Carnegie Mellon University Department of Athletics as the associate head coach for men's and women's track and field in March 2015. Connelly also serves as the head coach for the men's and women's cross country teams. Connelly came to Carnegie Mellon with a pedigree of success coaching distance runners after serving 26 years at the University of Notre Dame as the head womens cross country coach and assistant mens and womens track and field coach. On the track, Connelly coached the women's middle distance and distance runners at Notre Dame as they earned 32 All-America honors under his leadership. He played a huge factor in the Irishs three BIG EAST indoor and two outdoor championships as well as nine runner-up team finishes at conference meets (four indoor, five outdoor). In addition, Connellys women's distance runners won 14 BIG EAST individual titles. He coached the womens cross country team to a third-place (2002) and fourth-place (2004) NCAA finish during his tenure. In all, Connellys teams have made 12 NCAA team appearances, won three Great Lakes Regionals and two BIG EAST Conference titles.  Since 1993, Connelly has mentored 15 All-Americans and 28 All-BIG EAST cross country runners. He is a three-time BIG EAST Women's Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year winner (2002, 2003, 2005), part of three BIG EAST Women's Indoor Track & Field Coaching Staffs of the Year (2002, 2006, 2013) and two BIG EAST Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coaching Staffs of the Year (2007, 2013). He also was named Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year three times (2002, 2003, 2009), after the Irish won the region crown. A 1983 Notre Dame graduate, Connelly ran both cross country and track for the Irish. Following his graduation, Connelly served as a graduate assistant coach under Joe Piane while working toward his master's degree in business. In 1986, Connelly moved on to Syracuse University as an assistant cross country and track coach. During his time in central New York, he coached the men's and women's middle distance and distance runners and managed recruiting duties for both programs. Connelly also completed a second master's degree in physical education with a concentration in exercise science. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Connelly and his wife, the former Donna Southerly, are the parents of two children -- daughter, Ali, and son, Brendan. Ali is a senior elementary and math education major on the West Virginia University women's soccer team in 2014, while Brendan recently committed to play football at DePauw University where he'll be a freshman in 2015.