North Central University Athletics

Matt Gustafson is entering his 1st season at North Central University as an assistant coach.

The Fall 2024 Cross Country season marks Coach Matt Gustafson's 10th year coaching collegiate cross country.  The 2024/2025 Track and Field season will be his 10th year coaching collegiate track and field.

Coach Gustafson's prior coaching experience includes high school track and field for 2 seasons, high school wrestling for 1 season, elementary basketball for 3 seasons, and volunteering for 5 seasons with Ridgewater College's junior college men's basketball program

Coach Gustafson was most recently an Assistant Cross Country/Track and Field Coach at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul where he primarily led the middle distance/distance crew.  In 9 seasons with the Eagles, 12 individual track records and 2 relay records were set under his guidance.  He coached 7 UMAC All-Conference Athletes including 2 runners that combined to win 4 UMAC titles. In addition, he's coached 7 athletes and 1 relay to top 8 performances at the NCCAA Track and Field Championships.

Coach Gustafson was a 6-year cross country/track and field athlete in middle/high school at Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, MN.  He ran track his freshman year of college for the Northwestern Eagles. His distance relay team still holds the school record. 

After his year at Northwestern, he transferred to Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management in 2001.  After working as a high school athletic director for a couple of years, he returned to Lynchburg and earned a Master of Education in School Counseling from Lynchburg College in 2006.  For the past 18 years, he has been working as a Counselor in the Minnesota State College & University system, most recently at Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Park.

Coach Gustafson and his wife, Erica, reside in Shoreview. The two have been married for 11 years and enjoy traveling and spending time with their families (especially their nieces and nephews).