David Paul - Men's Track and Field Coach - University of Montana Athletics

David Paul

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
david.paul@mso.umt.edu
Phone:
243-5413

David Paul served as an assistant coach with Montana's track & field program for four seasons (2016-19). He coached the Grizzly throwers.

The throwing events were Montana's most successful during that period, with 15 throwers qualifying for NCAA regionals. In 2018, 10 different throwers scored at the Big Sky championships, including Jensen Lillquist, who won a conference title in the javelin. It marked the third year in a row that a Grizzly was atop the podium in the event, including Daniel Jones in 2017 and Lillquist again in 2016.

Paul helped develop eight throwers into conference champions, including Samantha Hodgson (2016, indoor shot put) and Kayla Holmes (2016 outdoor discus). Biggest, however, was the development of Hana Feilzer, who won three Big Sky Conference titles, qualified for NCAA regionals three times and was a single inch shy of All-America status at the 2019 NCAA outdoor championships. Feilzer graduated with school records in the weight throw (64-10) and hammer throw (209-10) and was twice named the Big Sky Conference Outstanding Performer (2017 and 2019).

Prior to Montana, Paul spent the previous four seasons coaching at Central Washington.

A 2007 graduate of Eastern Washington with a degree in health and fitness, Paul was a four-time Big Sky Conference champion for the Eagles and one of the top throwers in league history. He won two Big Sky titles in the discus, one each in the hammer and weight throws, and nine times placed in the top three in the throws.

Paul set a Big Sky Conference record in the hammer with a throw of 226-2 at the 2007 outdoor championships. He also finished first in the discus and third in the shot put at that meet to earn Field Athlete of the Meet honors.

He also claimed Field Athlete of the Meet honors at the 2007 indoor championships. He won the weight with a championships-record throw of 68-8.5 and placed third in the shot put. Paul finished 14th in the weight throw at the 2007 NCAA indoor championships and 25th in the hammer throw at the 2007 outdoor championships.

He finished his career with a PR of 185-0 in the discus, the 10th-best mark in Big Sky history, and 56-10.5 in the shot.

Paul, a native of Yelm, Wash., earned a master’s degree in athletic administration from Central Washington in 2013.