Alex Aldaco was hired in January of 2018 to restart the UMHB men's and women's cross country programs after a 17-year absence of the sport at UMHB. He serves as head coach for both the men's and women's programs. The Cru last competed in the sport in the fall of 2001.
Aldaco guided Caroline Vining to a berth in the NCAA Regional Tournament in the program's first season back and the UMHB women's team advanced to the Regional Tournament and a 20th-place finish in 2019. The Cru women won the program's first ASC Championship in the spring of 2021 and Holly Dasher won the ASC Women's Individual Championship. UMHB has advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament three consecutive years, 2021-2023, highlighted by a 16th-place finish in 2023. Aldaco is a two-time ASC Coach of the Year.
Aldaco joined UMHB after a 14-year stint as Head Coach of the men’s and women’s cross country teams at Concordia Texas in Austin. He also started the Tornados men’s and women’s track and field programs during his time in Austin. Aldaco started all four of those programs from scratch and was voted American Southwest Conference Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year after leading Concordia to the ASC Championship in 2012. He also guided Concordia cross country and track and field to three ASC runner-up finishes during his tenure and coached 44 All-Conference athletes with the Tornados. Aldaco is a 1999 graduate of Texas Tech University and he was a four-year letterman for the Red Raiders’ cross country and track and field teams. He served as Team Captain as a senior and also earned Academic All-Big XII honors. Aldaco spent one year as a graduate assistant coach with the Texas Tech distance running program before leaving Concordia. Aldaco and his wife, Brooke, have five children. He founded the website, TXRunning.com, and still serves as the site’s webmaster.
Coach Aldaco's Accolades (2018-present)
All-ASC Athletes Coached: 14
ASC Championships: 2020
Individual ASC Championships: 2020
NCAA Appearances: 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Individual NCAA Appearances: 2018
ASC Runner of the Year: 1
ASC Superlative Winners: 5
ASC Coach of the Year: 2020
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