Central College Athletics

Jim Fuller joined the Central men’s and women’s track and field coaching staff in 2013. He was an associate head coach from 2013-2023 and started as an assistant coach in 2024
    
Fuller was named the USTFCCCA National Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year after guiding Will Daniels to the heptathlon crown and Ryan Kruse to a third-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships. He was also named the Central Region Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year.

In 12 years at Central, Fuller has coached 22 All-American performances at the NCAA Division III and Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In his first season, Eric Larson swept the 2013 indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon national titles. He later guided Will Daniels to two national titles in the heptathlon and one in the decathlon in 2018 and 2019. In 2023, Sam Beatty was the national high jump champion at the indoor national meet. 

At the conference level, Fuller has coached 16 conference champions in the multi-events. His athletes have won an additional 26 individual conference titles in the high jump and hurdles races. On the women's side, Mary Gray won four indoor pentathlon and three outdoor heptathlon titles under Fuller from 2018 to 2021. Fuller has been on the staff for six men's conference titles
    
Fuller previously spent 24 years as a highly successful head coach at NCAA Division II Northern State University (S.D.). At Northern State, formerly an NAIA institution, his squads placed in the top 35 in the nation 20 times. Fuller also served as cross country coach for 16 seasons. He received Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference coach of the year recognition six times in track and five times in cross country, helping 815 athletes earn all-conference awards.

Between Central and Northern State, Fuller’s athletes have received all-America distinction 67 times.

Fuller also serves Central as a lecturer of exercise science.

Honors

Central College

• (2) Conference men’s outdoor track and field coaching staff of the year – 2016, 2018
• (1) Conference men’s indoor track and field coaching staff of the year –  2016
• (1) USTFCCCA National Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year - 2018
• (1) USTFCCCA Central Region Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year - 2018

Achievements

Central College

• (3) men's conference indoor track and field championships – 2015, 2016, 2018
• (3) men's conference outdoor track and field championships –  2013, 2015, 2016
• (3) men's heptathlon indoor NCAA Division III champions - 2013 - Eric Larson; 2018 - Will Daniels; 2019 - Will Daniels
• (2) men's decathlon outdoor NCAA Division III champions - 2013 - Eric Larson; 2019 - Will Daniels
• (1) men's high jump indoor NCAA Division III champions - 2023 - Sam Beatty
• (22) men's NCAA Division III All-American performances
• (4) men's heptathlon indoor conference champions - 2017 - Will Daniels; 2018 - Ryan Kruse; 2021 - Lucas Heitz; 2022 - Brody Klein
• (6) men's high jump indoor conference champions - 2016 - Logan Mulford; 2017 - Logan Mulford; 2018 - Will Daniels; 2020 - Drake Lewis; 2021 - Drake Lewis; 2022 - Drake Lewis
• (3) men's 55/60-meter hurdles indoor conference champions - 2013 - Eric Larson; 2015 - Eric Larson; 2016 - Dan Roemerman
• (4) men's decathlon outdoor conference champions - 2013 - Conner Freeman; 2016 - Jaemin Powell; 2022 - Brody Klein; 2023 - Brody Klein
• (1) men's high jump indoor conference champions -  2024 - Gunner Meyer
• (6) men's high jump outdoor conference champions - 2016 - Logan Mulford; 2017 - Logan Mulford; 2018 - Will Daniels; 2019 - Drake Lewis; 2021 - Sam Beatty; 2022 - Sam Beatty
• (4) men's 110-meter hurdles outdoor conference champions - 2013 - Dan Roemerman; 2014 - Dan Roemerman; 2015 - Dan Roemerman; 2016 - Dan Roemerman
• (1) men's 400-meter hurdles outdoor conference champions -  2013 - Drake Hickock
• (4) women's pentathlon indoor conference champions - 2018 - Mary Gray; 2019 - Mary Gray; 2020 - Mary Gray; 2021 - Mary Gray
• (1) women's high jump indoor conference champions -  2019 - Courtney Kruthoff
• (1) women's 60-meter hurdles indoor conference champions - 2015 - Meredith Zimmerman
• (4) women's heptathlon outdoor conference champions - 2018 - Mary Gray; 2019 - Mary Gray; 2021 - Mary Gray; 2023 - Olivia Bohlen
• (1) women's high jump outdoor conference champions - 2019 - Tori VanVelzen 
• (78) men's all-conference performances
• (42) women's all-conference performances

Athletics career

• Doane University