GORHAM, Maine – Two familiar faces will be joining the University of Southern Maine cross country and track and field coaching staff as head coach Rob Whitten has announced the hiring of Jared Marshall '21 as the program's new full-time assistant coach and Jim Karcanes as an assistant coach. Marshall will be working with the sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers while Karcanes will coach the distance runners for the Huskies.
 
"I'm very excited to bring Coach Marshall "home" to the University of Southern Maine track and field program. He left his mark on the program as a decorated athlete and has had a great opportunity to continue to grow as a professional and get some experience outside of USM," said Whitten "His passion, energy and what he's learned since he left really came out in the interview process and made him rise to the top of our list. I know the athletes are excited to have someone who's seen the USM track programs at their best, who's competed at the highest levels himself and coached athletes to even higher levels."
 
Marshall returns to Southern Maine after serving as an assistant coach with the cross country and track and field programs at UMass Dartmouth since 2021. During his tenure at UMass Dartmouth, he coached 39 conference champions, seven DIII New England champions, five national championship qualifiers, and three All-Americans. Marshall was a key figure in helping the Corsairs' men's team to the LEC indoor and outdoor titles in each of the past two years. He was part of a UMass Dartmouth coaching staff that won LEC Coaching Staff of the Year four times. Marshall was also individually honored as the DIII East Region Men's Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the 2023 outdoor season.
 
"I'm excited to be returning to the place that gave me so many good years and made me into the person I am today," said Marshall on his hiring. "I'm looking forward to helping continue to build the winning culture that I was once a part of here and am grateful for this opportunity."
 
Marshall had a decorated career for the Huskies from 2015-2020 that included nine Little East Conference Championships. He won seven individual LEC titles during his time as a Husky plus two conference titles as a relay team member. He was named the LEC Men's Indoor Track & Field Rookie Track Athlete of the Year in 2017 after winning three events at the conference championship. In 2019 he was named the LEC Men's Indoor Track & Field Track Athlete of the Year after winning another three conference titles. During the 2019 championship meet Marshall set conference records in the 60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles, and the 200-meter dash. He also holds the program records for the 55-meter dash, 60-meter dash, indoor 200-meter dash, 55-meter hurdles, 60-meter hurdles and the 110-meter hurdles. Marshall was also a member of the 4x100 relay team that holds the school record. Marshall qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships three times in his career. In 2017 he placed 14th in the 110-meter hurdles at the Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He made his return to the national meet at the 2019 Indoor Championships posting the 11th fastest time in the 60-meter hurdles and the 14th fastest time in the 200-meter dash.
 
Before coaching at UMass Dartmouth Marshall was a volunteer assistant coach at Gloucester High School, his alma mater, in Massachusetts from 2020-21. He also served as a coaching intern with the Huskies men's cross country and track and field program in 2019-20. Marshall earned his Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science from USM in 2021.
 
Karcanes has spent several seasons with the Huskies program and served as interim head coach of the women's cross country team in 2019. He will be mainly working with the distance group. Karcanes also is a mental performance coach for the Southern Maine athletic department.
 
"It will be great to have Coach Karcanes back in the fold working with the programs again," said Whitten. "His veteran presence, breadth of experiences and infectious positive attitude will be a great influence for our student-athletes. He's been helping out where he can during the cross country season getting to know the athletes, and we're very excited for the track seasons."