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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Track & Field Hires Cory Leslie as Associate Head Cross Country and Assistant Track & Field Coach
7/30/2026 | Cross Country, Track and Field
OXFORD, Miss. – Head Ole Miss track & field coach Connie Price-Smith announced the hiring of Cory Leslie as the associate head cross country and assistant track & field coach on Thursday. His experience and success at the collegiate, national, and professional levels bolsters one of the premiere coaching staffs in the country in Oxford.
"I am excited to welcome Cory Leslie as a part of our track & field and cross-country staff," said head coach Price-Smith. "Cory's proven track record of developing elite, championship-caliber athletes and his exceptional leadership make him the perfect fit to elevate our distance program to new heights."
Since 2021, Leslie has been the head coach with the Under Armour Professional Track & Field Team, leading elite mid and long-distance athletes. His time recruiting and training world-class runners led to his athletes representing four countries at six World and Olympic Championships, including 2024 Olympian Ahmed Jaziri, 2024 World Cross Country bronze medalist Adam Fogg, 2026 Canadian and Pan American Champion Foster Malleck, and numerous Olympic Trials qualifiers.
"This is a special moment for me and my family," said Leslie. "I'm incredibly honored to join Ole Miss and grateful to Coach Connie Price-Smith for the opportunity to be a part of such a respected program. Ole Miss has a tradition of excellence, and I'm excited to build on that by developing student-athletes who can compete for championships while growing as people. I can't wait to get to Oxford, get to work, and help our athletes reach their full potential."
Over the past four years, Leslie has been involved with USA Track & Field, coaching Team USA at the Pan American Games and World U20 Championships, while serving on the men's track & field committee as well.
At the collegiate level, Leslie was recently the head cross country and assistant track & field coach at Arizona State from 2017 to 2020, where he helped produce, U.S. junior champions, four All-Americans, a Pac-12 Champion, and guide student-athletes to set numerous program records.
Prior to his time in Tempe, Arizona, Leslie was an assistant track & field and cross country coach at George Mason University from 2016 to 2017 where he helped produce conference champions and NCAA regional qualifiers.
He got his start within the coaching ranks at Furman University as an assistant track and cross country coach from 2012 to 2016, guiding three teams to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, producing six All-Americans, and three top-10 recruiting classes.
Leslie earned his Bachelor of Science in sport and leisure studies while he was a member of the track & field program at Ohio State. As a student-athlete, he was a five-time NCAA All-American and four-time member of Team USA. He holds school records in the indoor 1000-meter, mile, and distance medley relay, and at the time of graduation, the indoor 800-meter. He was a bronze medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games and was a finalist at the Olympic Trails in 2016 in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase.
"I am excited to welcome Cory Leslie as a part of our track & field and cross-country staff," said head coach Price-Smith. "Cory's proven track record of developing elite, championship-caliber athletes and his exceptional leadership make him the perfect fit to elevate our distance program to new heights."
Since 2021, Leslie has been the head coach with the Under Armour Professional Track & Field Team, leading elite mid and long-distance athletes. His time recruiting and training world-class runners led to his athletes representing four countries at six World and Olympic Championships, including 2024 Olympian Ahmed Jaziri, 2024 World Cross Country bronze medalist Adam Fogg, 2026 Canadian and Pan American Champion Foster Malleck, and numerous Olympic Trials qualifiers.
"This is a special moment for me and my family," said Leslie. "I'm incredibly honored to join Ole Miss and grateful to Coach Connie Price-Smith for the opportunity to be a part of such a respected program. Ole Miss has a tradition of excellence, and I'm excited to build on that by developing student-athletes who can compete for championships while growing as people. I can't wait to get to Oxford, get to work, and help our athletes reach their full potential."
Over the past four years, Leslie has been involved with USA Track & Field, coaching Team USA at the Pan American Games and World U20 Championships, while serving on the men's track & field committee as well.
At the collegiate level, Leslie was recently the head cross country and assistant track & field coach at Arizona State from 2017 to 2020, where he helped produce, U.S. junior champions, four All-Americans, a Pac-12 Champion, and guide student-athletes to set numerous program records.
Prior to his time in Tempe, Arizona, Leslie was an assistant track & field and cross country coach at George Mason University from 2016 to 2017 where he helped produce conference champions and NCAA regional qualifiers.
He got his start within the coaching ranks at Furman University as an assistant track and cross country coach from 2012 to 2016, guiding three teams to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, producing six All-Americans, and three top-10 recruiting classes.
Leslie earned his Bachelor of Science in sport and leisure studies while he was a member of the track & field program at Ohio State. As a student-athlete, he was a five-time NCAA All-American and four-time member of Team USA. He holds school records in the indoor 1000-meter, mile, and distance medley relay, and at the time of graduation, the indoor 800-meter. He was a bronze medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games and was a finalist at the Olympic Trails in 2016 in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase.
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