John Grim was named the head coach of the Hood College track and field program for the 2017 outdoor season. Later that spring, he added the role of head coach for the Blazers' cross country teams to his duties.
Grim, who has over 40 years of coaching experience, previously served as an assistant for the Blazers during the 2013-14 academic year.
Most recently, he coached cross country at Catoctin High School after serving as an assistant coach at Middle Atlantic Conference rival Messiah College.
Grim is one of the most accomplished track and field and cross country coaches in Frederick County history. After taking over as the girls cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field coach at nearby Linganore High School in 1983, he won 14 total state team championships. His programs added 24 regional crowns and 17 county titles. He was named the Frederick County Girls Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year nine times and won the award seven times during the outdoor season and three times in cross country. Under his direction, Linganore became the first girls' program in Maryland to win the cross country, indoor and outdoor state championships in the same school year. He also guided more than 30 individual state champions at LHS.
He was also Linganore's athletic director from 1990-98.
Prior to his legendary run with the girls' programs at Linganore, Grim coached the boys track and field teams in 1983-84 and was the defensive coordinator of the football team from 1979-83.
His area high school experience started in 1975 as the boys' track & field coach and head football coach, posts he held until 1983.
Grim also has college coaching experience on the gridiron, coaching the offensive line at both Western Maryland (now McDaniel) and Slippery Rock.
Grim coached in the Pangea USA-Russia Track & Field competition from 1991-93, including a stint as the head coach in 1992-93.
He got his start in coaching at Osbourne High School in Manassas, Virginia in 1973, coaching on both the offensive and defensive lines.
Grim played college football at Indiana (Pa.) and was named All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and All-ECAC during his career. He was also a recipient of the Nora Zinck Scholar-Athlete Award and was named to IUP's All-Decade squad.
He earned a bachelor's degree from IUP and later a master's degree from Slippery Rock.
Grim has been involved in the Western Maryland Track Officials Association since 1985 and is a huddle leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
