Macnider joins Harper staff

Harper College athletic director Doug Spiwak confirmed Wednesday that the school has hired former Schaumburg High School boys cross country and track and field coach Jim Macnider.

Macnider will be the school’s head coach in men’s and women’s cross country and will assist head coach Renee Zellner in track and field.

Macnider is no stranger to the Harper cross country program — he attended Harper from 1969 to 1971 and ran cross country before transfering to North Central College in Naperville.

“I thought it would be cool to coach at a place where I went to school,” Macnider said.

Macnider thinks good things can happen for the program.

“Maybe we can do something special with some of these kids,” he said. “If we get the kids and I do my job, we can be a top-three team (in the nation).”

Macnider retired from teaching at Schaumburg last year after spending 37 years at the school.

“I had no intention of coaching at Harper when I retired,” Macnider said.

In track and field, Macnider will be in charge of the distance runners and will also coach the team’s jumpers. Zellner hopes having Macnider on board will help with recruiting distance runners from the MSL.

“We are fortunate to have him come to Harper,” Zellner said.

In cross country, Macnider fills the role of Paul Paynter, who resigned.

Macnider guided the Schaumburg High School boys cross country team to an 11th-place finish in the IHSA state meet last fall to cap a distinguished career with the Saxons.