Track & Field
- Title :
- Assistant Coach - Jumps/Multis
- E-Mail:
- richard.bellford@marquette.edu
- Phone:
- 288-6690
- Experience :
- Ninth Season
- Alma Mater:
- Wisconsin, 2006
Contact Coach Bellford
Phone:(414) 288-6690
Email Coach Bellford
Rick Bellford completed his eighth season with the Marquette University track and field program in 2020-21, where he coaches the jumpers and multi-event athletes.
Bellford has elevated the program since his arrival in 2013, guiding Marquette jumpers and multi-event athletes to 60 BIG EAST titles during indoor and outdoor competition combined, which led to four-straight BIG EAST championships for the women and a 2016 men's outdoor championship to go along with three runner-up finishes.
Bellford was instrumental in the development of high jumper Daniel Armstrong, who was a two-time Second Team All-American in the indoor high jump. Armstrong became the first Golden Eagle in program history to win four consecutive titles at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships when he won the high jump on March 2, 2020 at the SPIRE Institute.
For the first time under his watch, the Golden Eagle women high jumpers swept the podium honors at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships in 2020. Lindsey Mirkes won her first BIG EAST title while Emma Ludwig and Marin McClowry finished second and third, respectively. Mirkes followed that up with the outdoor title in 2021.
Wally Ellenson ('16) competed for two seasons under Bellford, sweeping the 2015 indoor/outdoor BIG EAST high jump titles en route to two All-American honors after taking third at indoor nationals and fifth during the outdoor NCAA Championships. After he claimed his second-straight outdoor title in 2016, Bellford recruited Daniel Armstrong, who swept both indoor/outdoor crowns in the event in 2017.
On the women's side, Terica Harris emerged as the league's top long and triple jumper after sweeping both events at indoors and outdoors and earning Field Athlete of the Meet honors at the 2017 outdoor championships.
During the 2019 indoor season, Bellford's men swept the BIG EAST Championship jump events as Daniel Armstrong (HJ), Samuel Johnson (LJ), Cameron Jemison (PV) and William Wolf (TJ) all won BIG EAST Titles. Samuel Johnson also went on to take the triple jump title at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships while Joe Keys went on to win the Decathlon with 7,138 points (No. 1 all-time at MU).
List of BIG EAST Champions under Bellford (jumpers only):
2021: Marquis Ward (outdoor TJ), Lindsey Mirkes (outdoor HJ)
2020: Daniel Armstrong (indoor HJ), Lindsey Mirkes (indoor HJ)
2019: Daniel Armstrong (indoor HJ), Samuel Johnson (indoor LJ; outdoor TJ), Joseph Keys (decathlon), William Wolf (indoor TJ)
2018: Daniel Armstrong (indoor/outdoor HJ), Will Eggers (heptathlon), Samuel Johnson (outdoor LJ), Joel Swanberg (indoor/outdoor PV),
Julie Clayton (indoor PV), Terica Harris (indoor/outdoor LJ, outdoor TJ), Marin McClowry (indoor HJ)
2017: Daniel Armstrong (indoor/outdoor HJ), Dwayne Dash (outdoor TJ), Will Ford (indoor PV)
Monique Felix (pentathlon, heptathlon, outdoor HJ), Terica Harris (indoor/outdoor LJ, indoor/outdoor TJ), Gemma Tedeschi (outdoor PV), Omo Tseumah (indoor HJ)
2016: Joel Swanberg (heptathlon, indoor PV), Wally Ellenson (outdoor HJ), Will Ford (outdoor PV), Dwayne Dash (outdoor LJ), Will Eggers (decathlon),
Monique Felix (pentathlon, heptathlon), Gemma Tedeschi (indoor PV), Omo Tseumah (indoor HJ), Nicole Jaffke (outdoor PV)
2015: Joel Swanberg (heptathlon, indoor PV), Wally Ellenson (indoor/outdoor HJ)
Tatyana Pashibin (outdoor HJ)
2014: Joel Swanberg (pentathlon, outdoor PV), Oumaru Abdulahi (indoor HJ), Michael Saindon (outdoor HJ)
Tatyana Pashibin (pentathlon, heptathlon), Carlye Schuh (indoor/outdoor LJ)
List of All-Americans under Bellford (jumpers only):
2021: Joe Keys (decathlon)
2020: Joe Keys (heptathlon)
2019: Daniel Armstrong (indoor HJ)
2018: Daniel Armstrong (indoor HJ)
2015: Wally Ellenson (outdoor HJ)
2014: Wally Ellenson (indoor HJ)
Bellford has coached BIG EAST champions in the pentathlon, heptathlon, decathlon, high jump, long jump, triple jump and pole vault. He’s coached NCAA Regional qualifiers in the long jump, triple jump and high jump and NCAA qualifiers in the high jump.
He guided high jumper Wally Ellenson to a third place finish at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships and a fifth place finish at in the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Ellenson advanced to the USA Outdoor Championships where he closed his season with a 12th-place finish. Bellford oversaw Ellenson as he won both the indoor and outdoor BIG EAST Conference titles, broke the conference's indoor record and set the Marquette school record in the 2015 season.
Bellford previously worked for American Family Insurance before his entry into coaching, while working with jumpers locally at Pius XI High School and Cardinal Stritch University. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor's degree in 2006 and a double major in economics and political science.
A West Allis, Wisconsin native, Bellford left the Badgers as a multiple All-Big Ten performer in the long jump, triple jump, 100m dash and 4x100-meter relay, while earning All-America honors in the triple jump as a junior in 2005.
He was also a member of a Big Ten championship 4x100-meter relay squad while serving as team captain as a senior in 2006. Bellford was a Wisconsin Track Coaches' Association Hall of Fame inductee in 2017.
He currently resides in Brookfield with his wife, Desiree, and daughter, Brynn.
Certifications:
USATF Level 1
USTFCCCA Technical Certification
USTFCCCA Combined Event Specialist Certification
USTFCCCA Jumps Specialist Certification
USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Certification
