James Goss returns in 2026 for his 16th season as head coach of the Golden Flyers' track and field and cross country teams. Goss has provided stability and leadership to develop Nazareth into a perennial contender in the Empire.
Each season, members of the cross country and track and field teams have been climbing into the Top-10 lists all-time at Nazareth. On the women's side, three of the top-5 6k times are from 2023 or later, while on the men's three of the top-5 8k times are from 2022 or later.
Records are falling at a quick rate under Goss and Associate head coach Mike Heymann's direction. On the track field side, nine indoor school records were broken in 2026 on the women's side, while seven during the outdoor season. For the men, four school records were broken during the indoor season in 2026, and two during the outdoor season.
Nazareth sent three athletes to both the indoor and outdoor track and field championships in 2026 with Graeden Heichberger taking Second Team All-America honors in the weight throw (indoor) and First Team All-America honors in the shot put (outdoor). On the women’s side, Isabel Morse was a Second Team All-American indoor and First Team All-American for the outdoor season after recording the highest-ever finish for a Nazareth athlete outdoors (5
th place). Samantha Luba earned a trip to the indoor track and field championships in 2026 in the pentathlon and recorded Second Team All-America honors in the heptathlon during the outdoor season.
A career highlight for Goss came in 2025 when Nazareth was awarded hosting the 2025 Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Golisano Training Center on campus where he served as the meet director. The event featured 659 athletes from around the country, plus coaches and fans, from colleges across the country. In all, 25 new facility records were set at the two-day event.
In 2022-23 Goss helped guide both the men's and women's track and field teams to their first indoor and outdoor Empire 8 Championships. The women's team repeated for both the indoor and outdoor championships in 2023-24, while the men's team won the indoor championship in 2024. On the men's side, Goss and the Nazareth staff have been Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year for indoor in 2023-24 and 2022-23, and for outdoor in 2023. On the women's side, the Nazareth staff has been Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year for indoor in 2023-24 and 2022-23 and for outdoor in 2023 and 2024.
A native of Skaneateles, N.Y., Goss has engineered steady improvement for the cross country programs. The men's cross country team has won three of the last four conference championships, while the women garnered their first-ever Empire 8 title in 2023. For cross country, Goss and his staff earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors for three times (2020-21, 2021, and 2022). On the women's side, Nazareth was honored in 2023. Cade Eells (2023) and Nathan Bowers (2022) each garnered Empire 8 Runner of the Year honors under Goss' directon.
In 2024, Goss was selected by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Niagara Region Coach of the Year for indoor track after guide the men's team to its second-straight title.
The recent addition of the state-of-the-art Golisano Training Center has bolstered Goss' recruiting efforts as the Golden Flyers have fielded highly competitive track and field teams while crowning several All-Americans. The GTC will serve as the backdrop for the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
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During the 2024 indoor season, Kaleb Luton (11th place in 60-meter hurdles; 8.15) and Lea Richard (13th place -weight throw) both earned second team all-american status.
Prior to that, Brenna Johnson was on the podium after placing fifth in the long jump in 2022 at the indoor national meet.
She was preceded by Alycia Eaton in the triple jump in 2018, Emily Thompson in the 10,000-meter run in 2018 and Taylor Pierson in the long jump in 2014 and 2013.
For the men's track and field team, Luis Rivera was a four-time All-American and became the Golden Flyers' first track and field national champion by winning the 35-pound weight throw at the indoor championships in 2016. During the 2016 outdoor season, Rivera was joined by Tom Sippie as an All-American in the 400-meter dash.
All told, Nazareth athletes have broken more than 80 school records since Goss was named coach in 2011.
Goss also serves as the Track & Field and Cross Country Chair of the Empire 8 Conference and was the past-president of the New York State Collegiate Track Conference (NYSCTC). In that role, he helped spearhead a transition to the All-Atlantic Regional Track Conference (AARTC) and still serves on that conference's executive committee.
In addition to Nazareth's steady improvement on the course and on the track, Nazareth has reaped success in the classroom with his teams consistently being recognized on the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country coaches Association's All-Academic team.
Before joining the staff at Nazareth, Goss excelled at Lynchburg, where he was at the forefront for many of the Hornets' track and field successes. In 2011, the Hornets sent three athletes to the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships. In addition, both the men’s and women’s teams captured their respective team titles at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships and were ranked near the top of the southeast region.
During Goss’ six seasons at Lynchburg, 15 school records were broken and 73 all-time top five performances were established. In addition, 21 Lynchburg athletes captured conference titles. Lynchburg’s women’s team was particularly strong in winning seven indoor ODAC titles and eight outdoor titles in the last 12 years. The men's team also dominated by winning 24 of 25 indoor and outdoor titles since 1998.
Before joining the Lynchburg coaching staff, Goss spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Emory University in Atlanta, specializing in sprints, hurdles and jumps. At Emory, he was part of a staff that was recognized five times as University Athletic Association Coaching Staff of the Year. He coached 20 national qualifiers, including 11 All-Americans.
Goss graduated from Lynchburg in 2001. He went on to earn a Master’s degree in Sports Administration from Georgia State. In 2011, Goss was inducted into the Lynchburg College Sports Hall of Fame.
Goss was a standout in track and field at Lynchburg, specializing in sprints, jumps and the decathlon. He won the NCAA Division III title in the long jump in 2001 and was named NCAA National Athlete of the Year. He earned All-American honors 10 times, Southeast Region Athlete of the Year five times and ODAC Athlete of the Year six times during his collegiate career.
Goss and his wife Mackenzie are the parents of daughter Brenna and son J.R.
