Southern Wesleyan announced Joe Wassink as the Strength and Conditioning Coach and Assistant Track & Field Coach in the fall of 2025. Prior to that, he served as the Director of Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field for nine seasons. Overall he coached at Limestone for 11 seasons while helping to guide the program to unprecedented heights.
During his tenure at Limestone, Wassink has developed an individual NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field champion, Marshawn Scott (2017) in the 60-meter hurdles. His program has also produced 65 Indoor and Outdoor All-Americans, 12 Academic All-Americans, 154 National qualifying marks, three Southeast Region Indoor Athlete of the Year, and two Southeast Region Outdoor Athlete of the Year.
On an individual basis, Wassink was named the 2021 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Outdoor Coach of the Year, the 2016 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Indoor Coach of the Year, and the 2013 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year. He is also Chair of the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Committee (2020-Present), has served on the USTFCCCA Division II Track and Field Executive Committee (2019-2021), and served as the USTFCCAA Division II Cross Country Executive Committee Secretary (2016-2019).
During the 2023 season, Wassink guided the Saints to a record 13 All-American honors in NCAA DII Outdoor Track and Field, two All-American honors in NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field, and four NCAA DII All-Academic honorees. The Blue and Gold also had eight participants at the NCAA DII Outdoor Track and Field Championships (tying a program record), two participants at the NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field Championships, 18 national qualifying marks for the men’s team, and 3 national qualifying marks for the women’s team.
Coach Wassink guided the Limestone Track and Field program to its highest placement in the South Atlantic Conference Indoor championships in 2022 with a second-place finish by the men’s team. He was also able to develop six All-American honors in NCAA DII Outdoor Track and Field, two All-American honors in NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field, and four NCAA DII All-Academic honorees. The Saints also had seven participants at the NCAA DII Outdoor Track and Field Championships, two participants at the NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field Championships, and a total of 15 national qualifying marks.
The 2021 season saw Wassink guide the Blue and Gold into their first season in the South Atlantic Conference and produce the South Atlantic Conference Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. He was responsible for 10 All-American honors in NCAA DII Outdoor Track and Field (a program record at the time), eight seven participants at the NCAA DII Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and a 14th pace finish at NCAA DII Outdoor National Championships. These accomplishments led Wassink to be named the 2021 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Outdoor Coach of the Year.
The 2020 season was abbreviated due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Wassink was able to preside over one All-American honor in NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field Championships, and seven national qualifying marks.
In the 2019 season, Wassink led the Saints to a second-place finish for the men at the Indoor/Outdoor Conference Championships and a third-place finish for the women at the Indoor/Outdoor Conference Championships. Limestone also placed two All-American honors in NCAA DII Outdoor Track and Field, three All-American honors in NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field, and a total of 22 national qualifying marks.
Wassink led the Blue and Gold to two firsts during the 2018 season which included the first female participant for the program in the NCAA DII Outdoor National Championships and the first female All-American at the NCAA DII Outdoor National Championships, Zawadi Brown in the 100 meter-dash.
The 2017 season found Wassink presiding over two more program firsts, the first Southeast Region Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, and the first NCAA DII National Track Champion in the 60-meter hurdles, Marshawn Scott.
In 2016, Wassink guided the Saints to its first men’s Indoor Conference Championship. He also developed two All-American honors in NCAA DII Outdoor Track and Field, four All-American honors in NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field, and the Southeast Region Track Athlete of the Year. Those accomplishments led to Wassink being named the 2016 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Indoor Coach of the Year.
Wassink was promoted to Head Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Coach in 2015. He led the development of two All-American honors in NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field and the first Southeast Region Track Athlete of the Year.
In 2014, Wassink was promoted to the Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach.
Wassink joined the Limestone Track and Field program in 2013 and helped lead the men’s outdoor team to the first Conference Carolinas Championship in program history and the men’s indoor team to a runner-up performance in the first year the league sponsored that sport.
Prior to coming to Gaffney, Wassink served as the assistant track & field coach at Wesleyan University from 2010-12 where he was responsible for coaching the sprinters and relay teams. While there he coached one student-athlete to a Division III New England Championship in the 60-meter sprint and six All-NESCAC honorees. Six of his student-athletes also set school records, breaking a total of seven during his tenure.
He also coached three Little 3 Champions in the men’s 100- and 200-meter sprints and the women’s 100-meter sprint while also being responsible for the recruitment of student-athletes.
Prior to his time at Wesleyan, Wassink was the track & field graduate assistant at Emporia State from 2007-09. Working with current Limestone head coach Cameron Babb, he coached six All-Americans (400m Hurdles, 4x100-meter relay, and 200-meter sprint) and numerous indoor and outdoor MIAA Conference Champions. Under his watch, 15 student-athletes broke a total of seven school records and placed in the top five in the program’s history for their events.
A member of Susquehanna’s track & field program from 2003-07, he competed in the NCAA Division III Championships in the 400-meter hurdles and was named Outstanding Track & Field Athlete of the Year for the Spring of 2005, Fall of 2006 and Spring of 2007. Wassink was also a five-time All-Conference performer, including three First-Team selections, and served as team captain over his final two seasons.
Wassink currently holds a Master’s Endorsement in Long Sprints from the USTFCCCA, a Master’s of Health and Physical Education & Recreation (2009) from Emporia State, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and Theatre Arts (2007) from Susquehanna University.
