Middlebury has announced the hiring of Johnny LaFortune '23 as an assistant track and field coach. LaFortune joins the Panthers after serving as a graduate assistant coach at Otterbein University last season.

"We are extremely excited to have Johnny LaFortune return to Middlebury to be a part of our track and field coaching staff," said head coach Martin Beatty '84. "Over the last three years, Johnny has gained terrific experience coaching at the Division I and Division III levels. Along with his experience, Johnny has a wonderful personality and relates well with students. He knows Middlebury well and will be a tremendous addition to our track and field program."

"I am thrilled to be rejoining the Middlebury community as a former Panther," said LaFortune. "I'm eager to take on this role and continue the success and infectious culture that makes Middlebury great. A special thank you to Martin Beatty, Nicole Wilkerson, Bruce Ingersoll, and the rest of the track and field family for this incredible opportunity."

In his role with the Cardinals, LaFortune coached and mentored the 400 and 800-meter athletes while assisting with day-to-day operations, recruiting and travel. He recruited numerous student-athletes across different disciplines and organized on-campus visits.

Before joining Otterbein, LaFortune was a volunteer coach for the University of Tulsa's track and field program. In this role, he worked with the sprint athletes and mentored them through training and competition. 

A four-year member of the Middlebury cross country and track & field teams, LaFortune earned an All-NESCAC nod after helping the 4x800 relay squad place second at the 2023 conference meet at Connecticut College. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology at Middlebury in May 2023 before earning his master's in allied health from Antioch University in August.