With almost 45 years of running experience to his name, Charlie Patterson begins his third season as the leader of the men’s and women’s cross country programs at Piedmont in the fall of 2013. Patterson already has a conference title to his name in his first two years at the helm and came close to garnering a second this past fall with his men’s team posting a runner-up finish to 20-time defending USA South champion Christopher Newport.
Patterson took over one of the department's youngest and most promising programs when coming to Piedmont as both the men's and women's cross country teams returned a Great South Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year for his debut in 2011. In his two seasons since, Patterson has continued that tradition of excellence helping his men’s and women’s squads to 18 combined top five team finishes with his women’s team already producing a conference title and the men posting two straight runner-up finishes in the year-end conference meet.
During his two-year stint as the leader of Piedmont cross country, Patterson has coached five All-Conference selections including 2011 GSAC Freshman of the Year Holli Abernathy who individually finished 2nd at the year-end conference meet. Each of his squads have also been honored with the Team Academic Award given by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as the Lion and Lady Lion teams have earned the award in each of Patterson’s two seasons at the helm.
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"What they're saying about Coach Patterson..." |
"Coach Patterson is one of the most genuine, most knowledgeable and most positive coaches I have had the honor to work with. To be honest, I have never met anyone that did not have something good to say about 'Coach Charlie'. He is a first class person and coach!"
-Richard Ludwig, Brenau University
Head Track & Field Coach |
“Coach Patterson has done a great job with the cross country program at Piedmont. I have enjoyed getting to know him and appreciate his willingness to assist with any questions I might contact him about. I look forward to coaching alongside him in the USA South.”
-Katie Stanford, Covenant College
Head Cross Country Coach |
In 2012, Patterson led the PC runners into a new era competing in the USA South Athletic Conference for the first time as the school joined the league beginning with the 2012-13 academic year. His squads wasted no time getting acquainted with their new opposition at the conference meet as his men’s team posted a runner-up finish to 20-time defending conference champion Christopher Newport while his women’s team claimed a 5th place spot.
The debut season for Piedmont’s cross country programs in the USA South also garnered recognition on the year-end conference awards list. A total of 15 runners wearing the green and gold were named as Academic All-Conference honorees with each program earning just about half the awards as seven came on the men’s side with the remaining eight earned by the Lady Lions.
The 2011 campaign was dominated by the women’s side of the program as the team brought Patterson a trio of meet titles in his first year on campus. The Lady Lions won the 2011 North Georgia Tech Invitational and defeated local rival Toccoa Falls College in a dual meet at the home of the Eagles before winning the Great South Athletic Conference Championship Meet to give the program its first conference title in almost a decade.
Patterson came to PC after serving the 2010 as an assistant coach at Brenau University in nearby Gainesville, GA. While with the Golden Tigers, he helped the squad to a trio of top five finishes including a third place finish at the Warrior Invitational hosted by Southern Wesleyan. The squad ended the season with a 6th place finish at the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship Meet in Gulfport, Mississippi besting five other conference members for the finish.
Prior to his stint at Brenau, Patterson was the Community Distance Coach at Georgia high school Flowery Branch in Hall County. During his time with the Falcons, the coach assisted in the planning of year-round workouts and tracked individual athlete performance while helping the girls' and boys' teams to a combined nine region championships including back-to-back State Champion finishes in the state meet on the boys side in 2008 and 2009 while the girls finished 3rd in 2009.
In addition to his experience with Flowery Branch High School, Patterson spent three years working as a head youth coach with the Lanier Running Club helping the organization develop a running program for those ages six to 18 in both cross country and track and field. Growing the program from the ground up to more than an 80-athlete club roster, Patterson mentored nine Junior Olympic Track and Field All-Americans, three Junior Olympic Cross Country All-Americans, two Junior Olympic Track and Field National Champions, and a Junior Olympic Cross Country National Champion as well.
Patterson ran track and cross country at Southeastern Conference school Auburn University graduating from the Alabama college in 1964. However, the long-time runner continues to compete for the Atlanta Track Club as a master's runner and is one of the "Original 110" having finished fourth at the inaugural Peachtree Road Race in 1970.
Patterson also won a USATF 5K Cross Country National Championship in 2008 finishing as the top runner in his age group. In December of 2012, Patterson also finished first on the ATC’s 70s USATF National Championship Team at the USATF 10K Cross Country Club National Championships while finishing as an Individual National Champion for the Men’s 70-74 age group.
As a registered USA Track and Field coach, Patterson received his Level 1 certification in 2007 before going on to earn his Level 2 certification in Endurance in 2008. Currently, Patterson is working toward his Level 3 certification having completed six Level 3 clinics including the Cross Country Revival in 2007 and the last three Distance Summits (2011, 2012, 2013).
Now making his home in Buford, GA, Patterson and his wife, the former Annie Morris, have two children together including a son, Alan and a daughter, Dana. The pair also have a grandchild as well, a granddaughter named Lauren.
