Tom Eitel is in his 20th year of coaching in the Big Sky, and his 14th at MSU where he coaches the jumps and multi events for men and women.  He was the Big Sky Conference Champion in the pole vault in 1982, and held the school record of 16' 9" for eight years. Eitel has coached 20 athletes to 41 conference titles, and five athletes to to eight NCAA All-American honors, including 2007 NCAA Indoor pole vault champion Ellie Rudy. Seven of his vaulters set conference meet records as well as one each in the long jump, decathlon, pentathlon and 100 meters. Tom is married to former U. of Montana All-American distance runner Deirdre Hathhorn, and has two children, Morgan ten and Pipi eight.