STATEN ISLAND, NY – Akil St. Louis, head coach of the College of Staten Island's men's and women's cross country and track & field programs, is featured in Episode 6 of the inaugural season of the East Coast Conference (ECC) podcast. He is the first head coach to appear on the podcast this season.

St. Louis joins host Nikki Philpot at the 11:12 mark of the episode.

Overview:
Part 1: In the interview, he discusses his vision of "building something successful", a goal he set when he took over the program in 2023. He reflects on the progress made, highlighting the teams' performances at the 2024 ECC Indoor Track & Field Championships, where both the men's and women's squads achieved their highest placements since the program transitioned to NCAA Division II.

Part 2: St. Louis explained that last year's indoor championship was an "emotional" time for not only him, but for the team as friend and family showed support at the Ocean Breeze Complex. He continues to praise the hard work and dedication of his student-athletes throughout their respective seasons. 

Part 3: Philpot highlighted the idea of "delayed gratification" when discussing cross country athletes, particularly noting how the overall performance of the Dolphins has significantly improved since St. Louis took over, not just in cross country, but across the entire program of cross country/track and field.

Part 4: With the ECC Cross Country Championships approaching on October 25, St. Louis discusses the women's success this season, highlighting standout freshman Adriana Roa, who has broken both the 5K and 6K school records within just four meets. He went on to discuss "changing the culture" of the cross country and track & field program, emphasizing how student-athletes are now consistently supporting and uplifting one another. 

Part 5: With CSI's roster primarily made up of New York-based student-athletes, St. Louis reflected on his coaching and mentoring experiences, noting how he continues to use his local connections to help shape the culture he's working to build within the program. He also shared his coaching philosophy, crediting former LIU men's soccer coach and professor TJ Kostecky for influencing his approach, particularly the idea of "building from the ground up" and being patient.