Elon University cross country coach Nick Polk resigned today in order to take a position with USA Track and Field as a Sports and Science Medicine Manager, Athletic Director Dave Blank said.

Polk has been the head coach of the cross country program at Elon since 2014. He has coached several athletes to break several school records on both the cross country and track and field distance performance lists and was also pivotal in the helping the Phoenix track and field program to a pair of Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championships in 2015 and 2016.

Blank thanked Polk for his years of service to the program and called Polk “an outstanding leader and mentor to [Elon’s] student-athletes” and wished him luck as he begins his new career with the USA Track & Field team.

Polk is the third Elon head coach to resign in the past year. Chris Little, the former Elon men’s soccer coach, resigned in December in order to take a job with a major league soccer team. Prior to that, Elon’s football head coach, Rich Skrosky, resigned his position in order to take a coaching job at Florida International University.

A national search is underway for Polk’s successor.