Rob Gallinger, a Lake Superior State University alumnus, enters his fifth season as head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country teams as well as the men’s and women’s track and field teams in 2021-22. 

Gallinger began his tenure in August of 2017 when he was named interim head coach of the two programs. Prior to the 2018-19 school year, the interim label was removed from his title. 

Under Gallinger’s leadership, the cross country and track and field teams have steadily improved with each passing year. A testament to his coaching, multiple school records have been broken with Coach Gallinger at the helm. 

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lake Superior Staate cross country and indoor track and field seasons were cancelled. Despite the abbreviated season, Gallinger led the team to a very strong outdoor season. At the 2021 GLIAC Outdoor Championships, the women's team finished with 20 points, marking the program's highest total since the 2014 season while the men's team finished with 19.5 points, marking the program's highest total since the 2017 season. 

Freshman javelin thrower Jenna Fleming recorded a first place finish at GLIAC Championships, becoming the first female Lakre to record a first place finish at outdoor GLIACs since 2013. Gallinger guided Fleming to a stellar freshman season as she held the top javelin mark in the GLIAC through the entire season and was the only conference female athlete to post a provisional qualifying mark in the event. Fleming set a new school record in her first collegiate meet (45.16 meters), recorded throws that surpassed the prior school record in every meet she competed in and finished in first place in all but one meet as a freshman. 

Under Gallinger's watch, David Mitter continued to excel in conference distance running as he placed second in the 5,000 meter race at outdoor GLIACs. During the 2020-21 season, Mitter bested the school record in the 5k distance on two occasions and met the provisional qualifying mark in the event. 

Gallinger's fourth track and field season was disrupted by COVID-19, resulting in the cancellation of the 2020 outdoor season. The indoor season was unaffected by the pandemic as the men’s and women’s teams were each able to participate in the Indoor GLIAC Championships. The men’s team earned a total of 10 points while the women's team scored 11 points, marking the highest total for the program since the 2013 season.

Mitter's 3000 meter race was the highlight of the Lakers competition as the junior set a new school record in the distance while Elizabeth Setsuda had a strong performance on the women’s side, as she had a hand in eight of the 11 points that the women's team earned.

At the 2019 GLIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, Gallinger’s teams combined for seven top-eight finishes and they both tallied their most points at the championships since 2014. At the 2019 GLIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the men's team had its best performance since 2017 and the women had their top performance since 2015.

Gallinger’s third GLIAC Cross Country Championships with the Lakers, in 2019, saw Mitter earned First Team All-GLIAC Honors as he finished among the Top-Ten finishers in the race. Individually, the Lakers had a strong showing with 11 of the 12 Laker athletes setting new personal bests at the meet. The men's team finished in tenth place with 284 points at the 8,000-meter distance while the women's team finished in eleventh place with 331 points at the 6,000-meter distance. 

In the fall of 2018, Gallinger’s teams continued to show improvement, highlighted by Mitter’s breakout sophomore season that culminated with an appearance in the 2018 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships at Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pa. Mitter placed 121st out of 261 finishers and was the first LSSU cross country runner to compete at cross country nationals since 1993. 

During his first year leading the program, Gallinger guided freshman distance runner, David Mitter, to a place on the All-GLIAC Second Team, who became the first runner from Lake Superior named to the team since the honor started in 2007. 

Prior to his coaching arrival at Lake Superior State, Gallinger served as an assistant track and field coach at White Pines Collegiate and Vocational School in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where he primarily worked with jumpers during the 2017 season. Gallinger was hired at his prep alma mater Central Algoma Secondary School (CASS) in Desbarats, Ontario in 2011.  At CASS, he held an assistant coaching position from 2011-14 before spending 2015-16 in North Bay, Ontario, at Widdifield Secondary School as an assistant coach. 

Gallinger is a 2015 Lake Superior State graduate with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in english literature and creative writing.  While at LSSU, he was recognized as a 2014-15 recipient of the Lake Superior Student Leadership Award for having completed at least two years in an executive position within a Student Assembly organization or having been a resident advisor/community advisor and having maintained academic excellence (3.2 GPA or greater).  Gallinger also earned a Bachelor's of Education degree in 2017 from Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario.  

Gallinger was a member of the LSSU men's track and field team from 2011-15 and served as a Laker team captain during his senior season in 2015. 

A native of Brockville, Ont., Gallinger currently resides in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.