Karim Abdel Wahab is in his second season as a full-time assistant coach with the Northern Colorado track and field program.

Abdel Wahab comes to Northern Colorado after spending two years as an assistant coach for sprints and hurdles at Colorado School of Mines in Golden. With the Orediggers' Abdel Wahab designed training programs for the sprinters and high hurdlers and held lead the school's sprinters to several new school records in 100 and 110 meter hurdles, 60, 100 and 200 meters.

Abdel Wahab also spent the past year at Ridge View Academy in Watkins, Colo. serving as a counselor for the Rite of Passage program which helps provide leadership, guidance and direction for at-risk teens.

Prior to coaching, Abdel Wahab worked as a technical programming director/coaches supervisor at XL'N Sports in Fort Collins. At XL'N he helped design and implement sports specific training programs for professional and college level athletes in speed and power dominated sports.

"Karim has great experience developing student-athletes in short springs and hurdles," said Northern Colorado Track & Field head coach Kevin Galbraith. "It is a great help in having a coach with his expertise in that area because our group of athletes is so large and now we can have more eyes on more people. I also feel fortunate to have found someone who shares the same philosophy as me."

A native of Egypt, Abdel Wahab graduated from Helwan University in Cairo in 2002 with a degree in exercise science. From 1996 through 2003 he served as an assistant coach for sprints and hurdles for the Al Gezira Sports Club in Cairo, where he help to develop and prepare Egyptain athletes for international competition.

While a coach at Al Gezira, Abdel Wahab coached the Egyptian national record holder in the 110 hurdles, the Egyptian male record holder in the 100-meter dash and the under-20 female record holder in the 100-meter hurdles.

From 2000-03 Abdel Wahab also worked as a personal trainer and fitness therapist at Samia Allouba Creative Dance and Fitness Center in Cairo.

Karim and his wife, Katie, have two daughters.