ROCHESTER, Mich. – Oakland University Track & Field and Cross Country Head Coach Paul Rice announced the promotions of Pat Sarver and Tre Brown to Associate Head Coaches ahead of the 2026-27 season.
"In my 28 years as head coach, I have had the privilege of working with many great assistant coaches in our program. Watching these assistants develop and contribute to the growth of our program has been a thrill. It has been a long time coming to now be able to create these two elevated positions in our program," said Rice. "I am so thankful for the support of Steve Waterfield and Dr. Ron Reeves in making this happen and to be able to offer this new opportunity to Pat and Tre. They have earned this and worked really hard to get to this point. Our program is in good hands moving forward, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with our two new Associate Head Coaches."
Sarver enters his 8th season with the Golden Grizzlies and has served as the program's distance and mid-distance coach since 2019. Under his direction, Oakland has produced two conference titles and 30 Horizon League All-League athletes in cross country, including three meet champions. Later around the oval, Sarver mentored the 2022 Indoor and Outdoor Freshman Runner of the Year in Ellie Voetberg.
Sarver has coached more than 30 All-Horizon League performers and guided the women's cross country program to two Horizon League championships.
Prior to arriving at Oakland, Sarver spent time as a volunteer assistant at San Jose State, where he helped with many program firsts, including the return of the historic SJSU "Speed City" Men's Track and Field program in 2019, competing in their first conference meet since 1988. On a national scale, he coached four NCAA Track and Field West Preliminary round qualifying performances, aided two NCAA Cross Country Championship qualifiers, and helped guide the Spartans Women's Cross Country program to an eighth place finish at the NCAA West Regional in 2018.
The Chesterfield, Michigan native got his start at the high school level in Michigan, with stints at L'Anse Creuse High School - North (2010-2016) and Notre Dame Preparatory Academy (2008). Sarver graduated from Oakland in 2010, serving as a team captain for the cross country and track and field teams, and was a member of the 2005 Mid-Continent (Summit League) Cross Country Championship team. He also was a member of the university's inaugural track and field team in 2006.
Brown enters his fourth season with the Golden Grizzlies and has overseen the program's sprints, hurdles, and relays since 2023. During his tenure, Oakland has seen significant success in the sprint events, including multiple school records and conference championship performances.
Brown coached Kylei Anderson to a school record (100m Hurdles), a Horizon League title in the pentathlon, and a trip to the NCAA East Preliminaries for the women's squad for the first time since 2019, while also helping develop record-setting relay squads and individual sprint champions. He has mentored numerous All-Horizon League athletes, including All-American Ja-Van Poole, who took home the 400m Hurdle Horizon League Titles in 2025 and 2026, while punching his ticket to the NCAA Championships in the event – the first athlete to do so in seven years.
A former standout sprinter and hurdler, Brown competed at Oakland from 2014-18, where he earned multiple Horizon League honors. Before joining Oakland, he gained coaching experience at both the collegiate and high school levels, specializing in sprint and hurdle development.
How to Follow Oakland Cross Country/Track and Field: For complete information on Oakland Cross Country/Track and Field teams, follow the team on X at @OaklandTrackXC. The team is also on Instagram.
