DU alum Jim Spisak returned to the Bluff in July of 2023 as an assistant distance coach for the men's and women's track and field/cross country programs.

A 2014 graduate of Duquesne, Spisak still holds three school records in the 1500m, 5000m, and 10,000m. A three-time NCAA national qualifier, Spisak finished his career with a regional runner-up and NCAA national finals appearance in the 10,000m in 2014, becoming the second Duke ever to reach an NCAA final in men's track and field. He won two gold medals (5000m and 10,000m) at the A-10 Championships in 2014, with the 29:33.29 in the 10k setting a new conference championship record. Spisak capped off his career with Duquesne Student-Athlete of the Year honors for the 2013-14 academic year.  

A former professional distance runner, Spisak qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials three times. He was the top American finisher at the Pittsburgh Marathon in 2018, finishing in seventh place overall, and won the Pittsburgh Great Race three times (2013, '14, and '18).

Currently a local teacher, Spisak earned his bachelor's degree in secondary social studies education and was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American. After his running career at Duquesne, he went on to be a volunteer assistant coach at Pitt from 2014-15. Spisak most recently was on the XCTF staff at Point Park University, where he started as an assistant in 2018, took over as head coach from August 2019-2021, then returned to the assistant role from 2021-23. Spisak led the Pioneers to their first men's outdoor track and field title in the River States Conference in 2019 and helped them to back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.