James Halford was named the Head Coach of Parkside Cross Country and Track & Field in July of 2026.
Halford was elevated to the leadership role after serving as Parkside’s Head Assistant Track & Field Coach and Sprints-Hurdles Coach since 2023. During his time on staff, the Rangers recorded the best finishes in program history at the GLIAC Championships while scoring the most points in program history at the conference meet. Halford also helped coach four student-athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in each of the past two seasons.
Since arriving at Parkside, Halford has played a key role in recruiting, student-athlete development, program operations and team culture. He has personally signed more than 100 student-athletes and helped shape a Parkside roster of roughly 120 athletes. He has also contributed to a men’s team conference runner-up finish and the highest women’s conference point total in program history.
Halford has helped develop student-athletes across multiple event groups, including three All-Americans and the first men’s GLIAC individual event champion in program history. His work with the Rangers has included the development of sprinters and hurdlers through acceleration, max velocity, speed endurance, special endurance, hurdle rhythm and race modeling.
In addition to his work with student-athletes, Halford has been involved in the day-to-day operations of the program, including travel logistics, equipment needs, meet entries, team communication, academic progress checks, NCAA compliance priorities, fundraising, alumni engagement and community visibility.
Prior to joining Parkside, Halford served as the Head Track & Field Coach at Palmyra-Eagle High School from 2020-23. He led all aspects of the program, including practice planning, meet preparation, event-group development, entries, parent communication and team culture. During his tenure, he grew the roster from 12 student-athletes in his first year to 45 in year three, representing 25 percent of the high school’s total enrollment.
Halford’s leadership background also includes service as an infantry team leader in the U.S. Marine Corps, private military contracting experience and time as a team captain with the Indiana University football program. He is also a licensed educator in special education for grades 6-12.
Halford earned his Master of Arts in Teaching from Carroll University, his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Indiana University.
