SAN DIEGO — Will Guarino has spent most of his life inside the same few miles of coastline. He grew up a border child between San Diego and Tijuana, ran for the Toreros as an undergraduate, earned team MVP honors, graduated in 1988 — and in 2004 came back to coach the program that raised him.
Twenty-two seasons later, he is still making the same argument he arrived with: that a distance program is really a place to build a person.
The résumé backs it up in both directions. Guarino championed the addition of women's track as an NCAA-sanctioned sport at USD in 2008, and has since coached Toreros to school records in nearly every distance event. He also went back to school himself, recently completing a master's degree in higher education at USD — a graduate of Alcalá Park twice over.
Ahead of his 23rd season, we asked him about the foundation he has built, and about why every recruiting pitch he makes eventually turns into a run.
USD: You didn't just inherit this program — you helped build it, including championing women's track as an NCAA sport in 2008. Looking at the evolution from 2004 to today, what are you most proud of?
WG: The program has always had a focus on developing the whole person. My inspiration is the Vitruvian Man — the Vitruvian person, really. The purpose of higher education is to ignite the renaissance of a young soul, helping them find themselves through their academic journey, push the boundaries that fit their profession, and have breakouts in their own running capacity.
It was a natural fit to add track to our offerings and further challenge the student-athlete to develop in the spring. The track is a different beast than cross country. Our aim at USD is for athletes to fully love both. I often find it is the yin and yang of life. Endurance and speed are the easiest observations, but it transcends so much more. It is the physical exploration of what is possible, and it requires so much mental strength that has to be ignited, cultivated and drawn from within.
What I am most proud of are the balanced athletes who have graduated from this program and become amazing parents, leaders and champions of their respective fields. I owe these young athletic academic heroes so much. They have inspired me to find the sweet spot in their growth as humans so they could find meaning in their purpose as people of this incredible world.
USD: You're a Torero yourself — Class of '88, a former team MVP, and now a USD graduate degree holder. How does that shape the way you relate to the runners who come to Alcalá Park today?
WG: Many pathways lead you to your role as a mentor, an alum, an athlete or a student. For me, it has been magical. As a border child living in San Diego, I have always been in love with both San Diego and Tijuana — the diverse nature of it, the people, and the community of the University of San Diego.
I have always considered myself an investor in life, and as a young person I was able to see the amazing value USD had in the '80s when I was here as an undergraduate. I considered myself blessed to attend, and I feel the same to work here and to have shared so many moments with colleagues in coaching, in staff, and among the professors. I have always been surrounded by a culture that has moved me to grow and be better. Kind teammates. Great professors who motivated me to learn. Coaches, administrators and support staff who made a difference.
USD: And that becomes the recruiting pitch?
WG: I naturally want to share this amazing running and academic garden with the individuals who will fully appreciate it and are willing to create their own story in this outstanding city and this breathtaking institution.
The one thing San Diego clearly has is an environment, and with that comes the star, which is the ocean and its lovely sandy beaches. My role as a recruiter permits me to dare young people to explore San Diego fully through their runs. We do not hold back. We explore the boundaries and the trails of this city.
I am ignited when I get the opportunity to share my own connection with this community with those who dare to want a full undergraduate experience — in an environment that, overall, is second to none for living a full life.
