LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The most prominent figure in the history of the Bellarmine University cross country and track & field program is back for another lap.

Bellarmine Athletic Hall of Famer Jim Vargo, who was a standout distance runner for the Knights before coming back to the university for a distinguished, nearly two-decade stint as a head coach and program director, has returned to the program in a permanent position as the director of men's and women's cross country and track & field.

Vargo first became the director of XC/TF at Bellarmine in 2000 and served in the position until 2015. From 2016-18, he was the head coach of the men's cross country and track & field teams.

Vargo had remained a coach emeritus with the Knights since his retirement, but Bellarmine Director of Athletics Scott Wiegandt is ecstatic to have lured him back in a full capacity.

"Jim and I were hired at Bellarmine at the same time nearly 24 years ago. He is a great addition to our staff and an absolute professional and great friend," Wiegandt said. "Jim is the central figure in the history of our cross country and track & field program. In his competitive days at Bellarmine, he was the epitome of what the university wants in a student-athlete, equaling his exceptional performance on a course or track with his work in the classroom. Jim then brought that same passion and commitment to coaching and mentoring Bellarmine student-athletes. He's the primary architect in building the program into what it is today, and I'm excited to see what the growth of the program will be under his leadership in the future."

Vargo was inducted into the Bellarmine Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000 for his individual athletic achievements and again in 2010 as a member of the 1982 men's cross country team that finished seventh at the NCAA II Championships. He was a part of all four Knights men's XC squads that earned berths in the NCAA II Championships — two as an athlete (1980, 1982) and two as a head coach (2010, 2017).

Also during his first stint as director, Bellarmine women's cross country earned a bid to the NCAA II Championships in 2012 after winning the GLVC Championships title in 2010. Knights women's track & field secured three GLVC indoor titles (2012, 2013, 2018) and had four GLVC outdoor runner-up finishes (2011-13, 2016) during his tenure. Vargo was named GLVC Indoor Coach of the Year in both 2012 and 2013. He was also recognized as the GLVC Outdoor Coach of the Year in 2012.

"I'm excited to return to Bellarmine where I ran as an undergraduate and came in 2000 as the director of men's and women's cross country/track & field and served as Assistant Athletic Director for many of those years," Vargo said. "Coaches (Angela) Musk and (former coach Chase) Broughton have assembled a very competitive Division I program over the five years they were here after my departure, and I want to help see those young people through not only the success they have already enjoyed, but the success that we are going to see this year. I'm honored that Scott, (Athletics Chief Operating Officer) Pam (Stackhouse), (Associate AD for Compliance) Annie (Coryell) and the administration at Bellarmine felt highly enough of me to ask me to return to lead the men and women for the upcoming year, and I am excited to do that. More importantly, I am excited to see the success these young people are going to have this year."

During Vargo's initial turn at Bellarmine, Knights women's and men's cross country combined to produce five All-Americans. Between indoor and outdoor women's and men's track & field, 30 All-Americans were produced.

The Bellarmine track & field teams combined to amass 103 GLVC titles between individual events and relays during Vargo's earlier tenure. Members of XC/TF accumulated 41 GLVC superlative awards (Runner of the Year, Track or Field Athlete of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year).

As an athlete, Vargo earned All-GLVC accolades in cross country in 1980 and 1981. He still ranks second on the program's 10k performance list and holds the third-fastest 10k time (30:51.3) in program history. In track and field, he was the GLVC's inaugural winner of the 10000 meters in 1980.

Bellarmine's annual Jim Vargo Invitational, an outdoor track & field meet, is named after him. Between his director stints, he did extensive work in broadcasting, working meets hosted by the University of Louisville and University of Kentucky in addition to the ASUN Championship and NCAA East Regional among numerous events.

Vargo was a 1983 graduate of Bellarmine and was awarded the Archbishop's Medal for having the highest GPA (3.95 majoring in mathematics) in the 1982-83 Bellarmine graduating class. He earned a master's degree at the University of Tennessee in 1985.

In addition to the collegiate level, Vargo has a rich history of coaching in Paralympic Track & Field. He was an assistant coach and guide runner for the USA Paralympic Teams that competed at the 1992 Barcelona Games, 1996 Atlanta Games and 2000 Sydney Games.

The United States Association of Blind Athletes named Vargo as their head track & field coach in 2000 (a position he maintained until 2008), and he was named the head track & field coach for the USA Paralympic Team that competed at the 2002 World Championships. The Kenyan National Paralympic Committee had Vargo as their Head Paralympic Track & Field Coach for the 2004 Athens Games and the 2008 Bejing Games.

Vargo carried the torch in the torch relay in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, and for the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games.

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