STEPHENVILLLE, Texas — Tarleton State Track and Field new head coach Bobby Carter adds Christopher Zent as an assistant coach for the 2024-25 season.
Zent will work with the distance runners during his time in Stephenville. He joins the Texans' staff after most recently serving at UTEP as an assistant distance coach and operations director with the Track and Field and Cross Country programs for the past two seasons. Prior to his time in El Paso, he had college coaching experience at both Ranger College (2021-22) and New Mexico State (2019-21). He also spent eight seasons as a high school cross country coach at Deer Valley High School (2011-2019).
"We are very thrilled to have coach Zent on board with us here at Tarleton State as our XC/Distance Coach," said coach Carter. "Over the years he has really perfected his craft and coached great athletes. He is a relentless recruiter, great person and brings much wealth of experience to our program, and I know that he will hit the ground running. We are excited to get things going and win many championships together."
During his time with the Miners he served as the operations director and assistant distance coach. During that time, Zent managed team travel, managing equipment for student-athletes, and assisting in management of the 2024 CUSA Outdoor Track and Field Conference Championships. He also assisted with UTEP distance runners throughout the 2023-2024 seasons. These included a CUSA Cross Country individual champion in Victor Kibiego, as well as NCAA Cross Country Championship qualifiers Kibiego and Titus Cheruiyot. During the outdoor season, Sandra Maiyo won the CUSA Outdoor Track and Field 10000 meters and qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships as well.
Zent served as the head coach for Cross Country and Track and Field at Ranger College for the 2021-22 season. He led both the men's and women's programs to two NJCAA Region V Cross Country Championships and a men's appearance at the 2021 NJCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.
His first collegiate coaching opportunity, he served as a volunteer assistant at New Mexico State for a pair of seasons. During that time period, Aggie distance runners broke numerous school records and earned their first WAC Indoor Track and Field Championship. Prior to college coaching Zent served at the Deer Valley High School head cross country coach and assistant track coach for eight years. He also served as a teacher as well. During his time with Skyhawks, he had 13 AIA Division II Boys and Girls Cross Country team State qualifiers, as well a AIA Division II Girls Track and Field Team Championship.
"I'm very grateful and immensely excited to become part of the Tarleton State University Texan Track and Field Family," said Zent. "Coach Carter has a grand vision for this program and has demonstrated success everywhere he has coached. He has been mentored by some of the most successful track and field coaches in the country, and possesses exceptional character. I would like to thank Coach Carter as well as Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve Uryasz for this opportunity and I look forward to developing a championship culture with the staff, faculty and amazing student-athletes at Tarleton State University."
Prior to coaching, Zent served as a teacher and a software account representative for multiple years. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and earned his master's degree in secondary education from Northern Arizona University in 2010.
