Brett Willmott, a 1995 alumnus of SUNY Plattsburgh with 30 years of coaching experience, begins his sixth year as Associate Head Track and Field Coach and Director of Strength and Conditioning at Plattsburgh State in 2026-27. Since returning to Plattsburgh State, he has helped student-athletes achieve 20 school records, multiple SUNYAC championships, several All-Region honors, including Regional Champion distinctions, and six NCAA qualifications, highlighted by three All-American performances.
Willmott returned to Cardinal Country after four successful years leading the cross-country and track and field programs at SUNY Potsdam. Prior to his tenure at Potsdam, he spent two years as head cross-country and track and field coach at SUNY Oneonta, where he guided both the men's and women's cross-country teams to NCAA Championship appearances. The men's team earned its first-ever NCAA Championship appearance, while the women's team made just its second appearance in program history. During his two years with the Red Dragons, Willmott coached 26 NCAA qualifiers and six All-Americans across cross country and track and field. His leadership also helped propel the women's program to a national ranking of No. 8 during the 2016-17 season.
Before joining SUNY Oneonta, Willmott spent nine years as Associate Head Track and Field Coach at the NCAA Division I University of Vermont. During his tenure in Burlington, Catamount student-athletes broke more than 50 school records, captured 22 individual conference championships, and earned 123 America East All-Conference honors. He helped guide the women's program to an America East runner-up finish and was recognized with Coach of the Year honors. He also coached Swedish Junior National Hurdle Champion Martin Kallur and mentored 10 NCAA Championship qualifiers. In addition, he continues to work with former University of Vermont standout Sara Roderick as she pursues her goal of competing on the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Team at the 2030 Olympic Games.
He served as Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at Plattsburgh State from 2003-07, where he mentored 22 NCAA qualifiers and 41 All-Conference and All-Region student-athletes. During his tenure, the men's indoor track and field team earned an ECAC Championship runner-up finish. He began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at Plattsburgh State from 1996-99, highlighted by coaching Christopher Verkey to an NCAA Championship in the 400-meter hurdles.
Since 2000-01, and continuously since 2007, he has served as a strength and conditioning coach and push coach for the U.S. Olympic Skeleton Team. In this role, he has worked with Team USA athletes, including competitors at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Among those he has coached is Plattsburgh alumnus and three-time Olympian John Daly, who represented Team USA at the Vancouver, Sochi and Pyeongchang Winter Games.
As a student-athlete at Plattsburgh State, he served as captain of both the cross-country and track and field teams and was a leader in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). He is a member of the Oakfield-Alabama High School Hall of Fame and has been selected five times as a regional and national presenter for the National Strength and Conditioning Association, most recently speaking in Lake Placid, New York. In addition, he traveled with the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Team to Cortina, Italy, in support of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
