Randal Grizzle joined Texas State track and field as the cross country and distance coach in January 2023.
In his second season as assistant coach, Randal Grizzle led Texas State’s distance program to continued growth during the 2025 season. Under his guidance, both the men’s and women’s teams qualified for the NCAA South Central Cross Country Regional, highlighting the program’s rising competitiveness.
On the track, athletes under Grizzle’s direction produced several record-setting performances. Abigail Parra delivered a standout season, breaking the Texas State indoor mile record (4:40.41) and indoor 3,000 meters record (9:29.24), while also holding the outdoor 1,500 meters school record (4:18.87). Nyomi Garcia also etched her name into the record book, setting Texas State school records in both the indoor and outdoor 5,000 meters with times of 16:55.82 and 16:43.43, respectively.
In his first full year as the cross country and distance coach at Texas State, Grizzle helped lead the Bobcats to a first place finish on the women's side at the SBC outdoor conference meet and a second place finish on the men's side. Under Grizzle, Abigial Parra set the school record in the women's 1500m and recorded the second and fifth best times in school history. He also led the women's DMR to an indoor school record (11:48.89).
On the men's side, Grizzle helped Jake Smith record the second-best time in school history for the men's 3000m run and helped him set the fifth and eighth-best times in the 5000m.
During the 2023 Cross Country season, Grizzle had two athletes qualify for the NCAA South Central Regioanl meet.
A longtime club coach, Grizzle has tutored 26 AAU national qualifiers and 12 AAU All-Americans in his time as a coach with Born To Run Track Club and the organizer of Buda Bolts Track and Field Program.
A graduate of the University of Texas, Grizzle was the team captain for the Longhorns cross country team and a member of the program from 1991-94. He was All-Southwest Conference in the 3000 meter steeplechase and three-time national qualifier in cross country. He started his college career at San Jacinto College, where he was a national qualifier in both indoor and outdoor NJCAA Track Meets in the mile, DMR and steeplechase.
In addition to his coaching experience, he is an experienced business owner with more than 20 years in the insurance and financial services industries.
