Princeton University Athletics
Men's Track and Field Hires Jeff Pflaumbaum As New Assistant Coach
October 19, 2023 | Men's Track and Field
Princeton welcomes Jeff Pflaumbaum as its new assistant coach of men's track and field.
Jeff Pflaumbaum brings 16 years of coaching experience to the Tigers working with throwing events and multi-events athletes in the throws at the Division I, Division Ill and high school levels. Pflaumbaum recently completed his second year as the throws coach for North Dakota State University. In his 12 years of collegiate coaching, Pflaumbaum has coached 43 conference champions, 72 all-conference performers, and 103 podium finishers. Additionally, he has coached 12 All-Americans and three U20 national champions and in 2021, Pflaumbaum coached Marc Anthony Minichello in the men's javelin to an Olympic Trials final, where he finished fourth.
At North Dakota State University, Pflaumbaum coached 6 All-Americans, 5 Junior National Qualifiers, 22 NCAA Regional qualifiers, 5 Junior National qualifiers, 16 Individual Conference champions, and had a student-athlete establish a new school record in the women's discus. In his second year at NDSU, Coach Pflaumbaum guided the Bison throwers to 5 individual Summit League titles, 4 Summit League runners-up, 9 NCAA West Region qualifying marks, and three All-American accolades (Benji Phillips and Matt Kraft in the javelin and Trevor Otterdahl in the Hammer Throw). Bison throwers added 10 new marks to the NDSU Top-10 list. Trevor Otterdahl, competing unattached, qualified for USA Indoors in both the weigh throw and shot put. Additionally, Trevor won three events at the Summit League Outdoor Championship on his way to becoming the first man in league history to win back-to-back Most Valuable Performer awards. Matt Kraft and Alex Seagris both won conference titles in the javelin. Seagris also won the U20 Canadian Championship. Former Bison Amy Phillips competed at UK Nationals in the women's hammer throw and finished sixth.
Prior to the COVID-19 cancelation of 2020, Coach Pflaumbaum concluded four years as the throws coach at the University of Pennsylvania, leading one of the most accomplished periods in Ivy League throws history. At Penn, Pflaumbaum coached 6 All-Americans, 19 NCAA East Region qualifiers, 12 individual Ivy League titles, 10 Ivy League runners-up, two U20 individual national titles, nine Top-10 All-Time Ivy League performances, and 33 Top-10 All-Time Penn performances. Pflaumbaum also had student-athletes establish new school records in seven of the twelve throwing events.
Penn Throws scored in 39 of 40 events at the Ivy League Championship during Pflaumbaum's tenure. In 2018, he was named USTFCCCA Women's Mid-Atlantic.
"I would first like to thank Coach Keller and everyone at NDSU for two treasured years as a member of the Bison family," said Jeff Pflaumbaum. "I would also like to thank AD John Mack, Coach Vigilante, the Princeton Track & Field staff and the Princeton Track & Field alums for their faith in me as a coach in granting me this opportunity.  It is one of the greatest honors of my career to be chosen to follow Coach Fred Samara. I look forward to mentoring these young men and continuing to build on the rich tradition of Princeton Track & Field. Go Tigers!"
Jeff Pflaumbaum brings 16 years of coaching experience to the Tigers working with throwing events and multi-events athletes in the throws at the Division I, Division Ill and high school levels. Pflaumbaum recently completed his second year as the throws coach for North Dakota State University. In his 12 years of collegiate coaching, Pflaumbaum has coached 43 conference champions, 72 all-conference performers, and 103 podium finishers. Additionally, he has coached 12 All-Americans and three U20 national champions and in 2021, Pflaumbaum coached Marc Anthony Minichello in the men's javelin to an Olympic Trials final, where he finished fourth.
At North Dakota State University, Pflaumbaum coached 6 All-Americans, 5 Junior National Qualifiers, 22 NCAA Regional qualifiers, 5 Junior National qualifiers, 16 Individual Conference champions, and had a student-athlete establish a new school record in the women's discus. In his second year at NDSU, Coach Pflaumbaum guided the Bison throwers to 5 individual Summit League titles, 4 Summit League runners-up, 9 NCAA West Region qualifying marks, and three All-American accolades (Benji Phillips and Matt Kraft in the javelin and Trevor Otterdahl in the Hammer Throw). Bison throwers added 10 new marks to the NDSU Top-10 list. Trevor Otterdahl, competing unattached, qualified for USA Indoors in both the weigh throw and shot put. Additionally, Trevor won three events at the Summit League Outdoor Championship on his way to becoming the first man in league history to win back-to-back Most Valuable Performer awards. Matt Kraft and Alex Seagris both won conference titles in the javelin. Seagris also won the U20 Canadian Championship. Former Bison Amy Phillips competed at UK Nationals in the women's hammer throw and finished sixth.
Prior to the COVID-19 cancelation of 2020, Coach Pflaumbaum concluded four years as the throws coach at the University of Pennsylvania, leading one of the most accomplished periods in Ivy League throws history. At Penn, Pflaumbaum coached 6 All-Americans, 19 NCAA East Region qualifiers, 12 individual Ivy League titles, 10 Ivy League runners-up, two U20 individual national titles, nine Top-10 All-Time Ivy League performances, and 33 Top-10 All-Time Penn performances. Pflaumbaum also had student-athletes establish new school records in seven of the twelve throwing events.
Penn Throws scored in 39 of 40 events at the Ivy League Championship during Pflaumbaum's tenure. In 2018, he was named USTFCCCA Women's Mid-Atlantic.
"I would first like to thank Coach Keller and everyone at NDSU for two treasured years as a member of the Bison family," said Jeff Pflaumbaum. "I would also like to thank AD John Mack, Coach Vigilante, the Princeton Track & Field staff and the Princeton Track & Field alums for their faith in me as a coach in granting me this opportunity.  It is one of the greatest honors of my career to be chosen to follow Coach Fred Samara. I look forward to mentoring these young men and continuing to build on the rich tradition of Princeton Track & Field. Go Tigers!"
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