- Entering 4th Season at Florida
- 3-time Big Ten Champion (Iowa)
- 4-time NCAA Champion
- SEC Outdoor Champion (2022)
Eric Werskey is entering his fourth season as an assistant coach for the University of Florida. He joined the Gators’ coaching staff in the summer of 2021 after four seasons at Iowa (2018-21), two years at California State University Northridge (2016-17) and three years of professional training at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, where he took his first strides into coaching after working with some of the top throwers in the world.
During the 2023 season, Werskey coached Alida van Daalen, in her freshman season, to an SEC Indoor Championship, an SEC Outdoor Championship and a pair of fourth place finishes at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the shot put.
Prior to Florida, Werskey helped the Hawkeyes to seven combined Big Ten top-3 finishes, including three conference titles. Additionally, Werskey coached Hawkeyes throwers to five Big Ten individual championships, one NCAA championship, seven combined All-America honors and eight school records during his tenure at Iowa.
Werskey coached Hawkeyes standout Laulauga Tausaga to a combined total of five Big Ten individual championships and Iowa’s first individual NCAA Outdoor Championship in 34 years in 2019. Tausaga also became the school’s first-ever Big Ten Indoor Athlete of the Year in 2020 and was named to that year’s Bowerman Preseason Watchlist.
Additionally, Tausaga competed at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, where she qualified as a finalist under Werskey’s direction.
In his first season at Florida, Werskey guided Thea Jensen (Shot Put) and Mark Porter (Javelin) to berths at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Jensen broke the Danish National Record at the NCAA East Prelims with a throw of 16.97m.
At CSUN, Werskey helped throwers to a total of six Big West titles. The Matadors earned five top-3 individual finishes at the Big West Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2016, including two conference titles in the discus. And in 2017, CSUN’s throwing corps collected four additional Big West titles.
Werskey also coached CSUN’s Monique Griffiths to qualify for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials.
In addition to being a Trials qualifier, Griffiths also earned a berth on the Team USA roster for the U23 North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships, where she earned a silver medal.
Werskey was married to Vicki Werskey, formerly Vicki Brown, in 2022. Werskey is the Director of the Gators EmpowHER program of the UAA's Hawkins Center, and former Head Volleyball Coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Werskey's Coaching Noteables (Florida)
- 2 SEC Individual Championships
Werskey’s Coaching Notables (prior to Florida)
- 1 IAAF World Championships Finalist (Doha 2019)
- 1 USA Olympic Trials Qualifier (2016)
- 1 NCAA Individual Champion (Iowa – 2019)
- 6 Big Ten Individual Champions (Iowa – 2018-21)
- 6 Big West Individual Champions (CSUN – 2016 & 2017)
- 8 Iowa school records broken
- 7 All-American honors
Werskey’s Coaching History
- Florida (2022-present) – Assistant Coach, Throws
- Iowa (2018-21) – Assistant coach, Throws
- California State University Northridge (2016-17)—Assistant Coach
Werskey’s Athletic Career
A three-time All-American in the shot put at Auburn, Werskey worked under coach Jerry Clayton.
In 2012, Werskey competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials and then became a resident at Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, throwing professionally until 2015. At OTC, Werskey trained with legendary throws coach Art Venegas.
Personal
Werskey is a native of Seymour, Indiana, and graduated from Auburn University in 2011 with a degree in Psychology.
