New UTEP XC/T&F Assistant Coach Alan Culpepper Returns to El Paso

8/17/2021 12:14:00 PM

Going back to your hometown can be special. Especially when you've made national headlines during a successful career. In this case, El Paso native Alan Culpepper is coming home.

Culpepper was announced to the UTEP Track and Field/Cross Country coaching staff on June 29, 2021. There was a buzz around El Paso when the news was released about Culpepper accepting the position as an assistant coach/director of operations.

Culpepper, a collegiate All-American and two-time Olympian in track, is a 1991 graduate of Coronado High School. He won five Texas state titles in cross country and track. It was in the Sun City where Culpepper commenced his career.

"I found my way into running in middle school, then went to high school to compete for the T-Birds and was able to win some state titles there," Culpepper said. "My running high school tenure kind of took off when I was a sophomore. By my 10^th grade year, I won the state meet in two different events, and that kind of really took things up a notch. By my senior year, I got fourth place at the National Championships in cross country. It was great. It was just like a great introduction to the sport and El Paso was always supportive and so encouraging of what I was doing."

Following a successful high school career, Culpepper took his talents to Boulder, Colo., where he competed at the University of Colorado. He lettered all four years (1993-1996) for the Buffaloes. But before achieving notable accolades, Culpepper endured setbacks at the beginning of his CU career.

"The first year and half was pretty rocky to be honest with you," Culpepper said. "The transition to college can be challenging and I was dealing with random running injuries. At one point I wasn't able to run essentially for a year and a half. That was a struggle. But then we got a new coach."

Colorado hired Mark Wetmore during the 1995 season. It was Coach Wetmore who helped Culpepper overcome his injuries and get his mind straight to compete at a high level.

"Coach Wetmore came on board and he helped right the ship for me," Culpepper said. "He got me back in the right mindset, and got me back in the training flow. It quickly turned around from there. He came in with a new level of enthusiasm. He just taught me what it meant to work hard."

"He was a big talent, and certainly he was a willing worker," Wetmore said. "He had some hard-working teammates that were willing to raise the bar on any day he was feeling tired. Between his work ethic and that of his teammates, he got better and better."

From that hard work and dedication, Culpepper went on to become an eight-time NCAA All-American, while capturing the 1996 NCAA National Championship in the 5000m race. Besides Culpepper, the Buffaloes' program as a whole started to experience success.

"It was a pretty cool transition to see that team turn around and to really make a step nationally," Culpepper said. "And for me to make that step because you go through those struggles. You start to question yourself, your ability and your perseverance. But then you work through those and then you have someone come who can help you like a coach that can just make a big difference."

After achieving success at the collegiate level, Culpepper focused on achieving a goal that he'd written down on a piece of paper when he was still in high school.

"The transition from college to professional for me was quite smooth," Culpeper said. "It really took off right away. I was ranked in the top two in the United States within a year of graduating and made a World Championships team. And then making the 2000 Olympic team was like this culmination. I wrote down when I was 15 years old that I wanted to make an Olympic team."

His hard work and dedication paid off as he went on to become a two-time Olympian at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and at the 2004 games in Athens, Greece.

Culpepper recollects his relationship with a Miner legend who also helped him strive for greatness. This former UTEP track and field athlete won 15 NCAA National Championships from 1979 through 1982. He also captured a silver medal in the 5000m race at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Russia.

"I got to race [Suleiman Nyambui] in high school," Culpepper said. "It was this really cool, interactive experience where I got to actually toe the line with Nyambui. Well then fast forward to the year 2000 [Olympics] and I look over, see Nyambui and he's the national coach for Tanzania. I didn't think he would recognize me, but he totally recognized me. It was just this cool little full circle thing that he had made such a big impact on me as a 17-18-year old, and then to seem him at the Olympics. He told me, 'You made it to the Olympics!' It was a pretty cool little El Paso connection we had."

And speaking of "full circle", Culpepper has landed back in the Sun City and will use his extensive knowledge to help mentor UTEP track and field's current student-athletes.

"I think I can bring in personal experience of just having gone through it," Culpepper said. "I lived through that college transition and struggled a little bit, and then found my way. I'll bring in my 10 years as a professional, and what it really means to train at a high level."

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