This bio is now a part of a historical archive, the individual was on staff from 2023 to 2024 and is no longer employed by Wilkes University.
Shawn Austin '21 joins the Wilkes men's and women's cross country staff as an assistant coach for the 2023 season.
Austin serves as the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Wilkes University, a position he started at in August 2022. He is responsible for recruitment and enrollment of prospective first-year students from 24 PA counties, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Austin's other duties of the position include, meeting with prospective students and their families on-campus during their visit, collaborating with faculty and staff across campus to enhance visit experience for prospective students, traveling to college fairs, high school visits, and regional university events to recruit students, and helping oversee and manage the university's student ambassador program. He also serves as the Staff Advisor for the Wilkes University Black Student Union, a position he began in February 2023.
Austin is a 2021 graduate of Wilkes University with a BA in Communication Studies. He is currently working toward his Masters of Business Administration from Wilkes.
He has served as a track & field assistant coach at Wilkes-Barre Area High School since March 2022 where he assists the head coach with student-athletes during practice, dual meets, and invitationals. Austin has helped oversee a roster of 100+ student-athletes and specifically worked with sprint and mid-distance athletes.
Austin was a member of the Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field team at James M. Coughlin High School from 2013-2015 as he participated in the 400M, 500M and 4X400M Relay and served as a team captain as a senior. He is the indoor 500M school record holder with a time of 1:16.74 that he set at the Bible Baptist High School Invitational in 2015. He was a member of the 2013 and 2015 Wyoming Valley Conference Championship teams. Austin was coached by 2015 Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame Inductee Paul McGrane.
