Patrick Zarate
Head Coach for
Women's Cross Country and
Women's Track & Field
(830) 372-6308
pzarate@tlu.edu
Patrick Zarate is in his third year as head coach of the Texas Lutheran Univeristy women's cross country and women's track and field programs. He is in his 11th year overall as a member of the coaching staff with the two programs.
In 2008, Zarate led the TLU women's track and field program to its most successful season in history. At the 2008 NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships, Zarate was named the NCAA National Coach of the Year and the South/Southeast Regional Coach of the Year. He guided the Bulldogs to a 10th-place team finish at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and he coached the Bulldogs to a 2008 national title in the women's 4x100 meter relay (outdoor). Zarate also coached the 2008 outdoor 4x400 meter team to a national runner-up finish.
Zarate, a native of Pearland, Texas, was a successful athlete throughout his high school career in cross country and track. Following his high school running career, Zarate attended Texas Lutheran University in 1999 and worked as a student assistant coach through his four years as a student at TLU.
In the pnine years Zarate has assisted both programs to a combined four American Southwest Conference Championships, 10 American Southwest Conference team runner-up finishes, eight NCAA National Champions (as the results of two national relay titles), 37 Track & Field All-Americans, 89 All-Conference Runners, 124 Academic All-Conference Athletes, 56 Athletes of the Week, 57 Track & Field individual champions, three Cross Country individual champions, three NAIA National Track Qualifiers, 42 NCAA DIII Track & Field Qualifiers, six ASC Freshmen of the Year, eight ASC Athletes of the Year, two All-Region runners, three United States Cross Country Coaches Association Academic All-American Teams, three ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans, and two Regional Athletes of the Year.
Zarate graduated from Texas Lutheran in May of 2003 with a bachelors of arts in kinesiology. Zarate is USA Track & Field Level 1 & 2 certified.
Zarate is the son of Carmel and Mary Zarate of Pearland, Texas. Zarate’s father is one of five brothers who served in World War II, three of which are still living. Zarate and his wife Nichole, a 2002 graduate of Texas Lutheran were married in June 2005 and reside in Seguin, Texas.
