Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Miriam Merrill
Phone: 312-935-6449
Email: mmerrill@robertmorris.edu 

After three seasons as an assistant coach for the Robert Morris Women's Track & Field team, former All-American Miriam Merrill took over as head coach in 2008.  Originally from Bolivar, OH, just outside of Canton, Coach Merrill was an outstanding athlete as an Ohio prep, finishing state runner-up in both the discus and shot put.

Those feats earned an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship to the University of Cincinnati. She competed in the discus, shot put, javelin, and the hammer throw.  In 2001 she qualified for the NCAA Indoor Nationals, becoming the first--and only--Bearcat All-American in Women's Track & Field.  She still holds the UC indoor weight throw record of 64'1" and is in the school's historic top five in most of her other events.

Following her junior year at UC, Coach Merrill was invited to participate in the prestigious NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference, an honor offered to fewer than two-hundred undergraduates from across the nation.

After receiving her bachelor's degree in communications, Coach Merrill remained at Cincinnati to earn a Masters of Education in Sports Administration.  She is USA Track & Field Level 1 Certified Coach and a member of the Illinois Track and Field and Cross Country Association as well as the Illinois Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches and Officials Association.  She was also Regional Coordinator for the National Football Foundation--an organization dedicated to ensuring the academic success of prep student-athletes and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

"Coach Merrill has been a strong contributor to our track program," says Smith Eggert.  "Our student-athletes are fortunate to have a coach with her background and commitment to excellence leading the program."

Coach Merrill is also an Academic Advisor at Robert Morris University.

Assistant Coach: Paul Zavala
Phone: 312-935-4057
E-mail: pzavala@robertmorris.edu 

Coach Zavala is also the Head Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Coach at Robert Morris and took over after a great career in the Maroon & Gold.  As a freshman he garnered the Newcomer of the Year award before twice earning Most Valuable Player honors.  He also won the prestigious Eagle Award, given each year to the student-athlete who best personifies the ideals of intercollegiate athletics and the University.

He was a four-time All-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference honoree, a three-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-Region runner, and the CCAC Freshman of the Year.  He also qualified for the NAIA National Meet.

While pursuing his Master of Business Administration, he was a graduate assistant for the cross country teams and then served two seasons as the program's number-one assistant.

Besides his RMU experience, Coach Zavala has worked as an assistant at Morton College (IL) and at his prep alma mater, Argo Community High School in Summit, IL.