Longtime NWU Track and Cross Country Coach Ted Bulling is Retiring

LINCOLN–(NWU Athletics May 31)–Ted Bulling, the head track & field and cross country coach at Nebraska Wesleyan for 38 years, announced his retirement, capping off one of the most prolific collegiate coaching careers in history.

Bulling has led the Prairie Wolves track & field and cross country teams for 38 years, during which his list of elite achievements includes 40 individual national champions, 17 relay national championships, 72 team conference championships, 67 top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships, 727 All-Americans, 56 CSC Academic All-Americans and four NCAA Elite 90 Winners.

Bulling, a member of the NWU Hall of Fame, has won multiple regional and conference coach of the year honors during his tenure and has been selected National Coach of the Year five times.

“I consider myself to be a very fortunate man,” Bulling said. “To wake up each morning and have the opportunity to work with the exceptional young women and men in our program over the years has been a true blessing. By far, the best part of the past 42 years has been the relationships formed with the student-athletes in our program and the incredible assistant coaches that I have been so fortunate to work with. I could talk all day about the young people that choose to be a part of NWU Track & Field and Cross Country. We have been able to attract athletes who are hard working, team oriented, of high integrity and are excellent students. I was always aware of how lucky we were to work with the type of student-athletes we did.”

Bulling’s 38-year tenure at Nebraska Wesleyan is the longest by a head coach in Prairie Wolves athletics history. The women’s track and field team at Nebraska Wesleyan has won three conference titles since Nebraska Wesleyan joined the American Rivers Conference, formerly known as the IIAC, in 2016–17. During those years, the Prairie Wolves won 60 conference event championships.

“First, congratulations to Ted on a well deserved retirement for the outstanding work he has done in leading the NWU Track & Field and Cross Country programs,” Nebraska Wesleyan, Director of Athletics Dwight Merilatt said. “Under Ted’s leadership both programs have become consistent nationally recognized programs for success. He has truly created historical moments for our university and athletic department by winning conference, regional and national championships. But most importantly, Ted has helped thousands of student-athletes achieve their ultimate goal, of becoming college graduates. These accomplishments are most recognized in the 56 Academic All-Americans that have been a part of both programs.”

Bulling graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1980. While at NWU, he held the program’s discus record for 10 years and was also a four-year letter winner and three-year starter on the defensive line in football.