Josh Aydlette is in his fourth season as an assistant track and field coach at the College of Charleston and works with the Cougar throwers.
Aydlette has coached four school record holders entering the 2021-22 season. Simone Harris broke a 14-year-old record in the discus in 2018 and ranks second in the hammer and indoor shot put and weight throw while Areyanna Scott set the school mark in the javelin as a freshman in 2021. Aydlette also worked with Jenny Martin, helping her break the school mark in the heptathlon javelin and heptathlon points.
Courtney Brooks and Lydia Bussey also cracked the Top 10 in the hammer, and Nicole Lane and Madeline Weber established themselves among the school's top javelin throwers. Weber also moved into the Top 10 in the indoor shot put while Bussey did so in the weight.
In all, Cougar athletes coached by Aydlette have earned a total of 32 spots in the school's Top 10 and 11 appearances in the finals at the CAA Championships.
Aydlette's hiring marked his return to the Lowcountry after both competing and coaching at Charleston Southern. He was an assistant coach at Hawaii before joining the Cougar program.
In three seasons with the Rainbow Warriors, Aydlette's athletes broke three school records, turned in 24 Top 10 performances, picked up three conference athlete of the week awards and earned nine All-Big West accolades. Five athletes combined to make seven appearances at the NCAA Meet.
Aydlette mentored Alex Porlier-Langlois to a 19th place at nationals in the shot put and recognition as the Big West Woman of the Year. She represented Canada at the 2015 World University Games in South Korea and took tenth in shot put while also placing third in the same event at the 2017 Francophone Games in the Ivory Coast.
Aydlette also worked closely with Alexis Brenzil, who was on Team Canada at the 2017 Pan-American Junior Championships and took sixth in the javelin, and Haleigh Sudbeck, who finished eighth in the hammer at the 2017 USATF Junior National Championships.
Aydlette spent a decade on the staff at CSU, during which time his throwers broke 20 school records and secured 35 Big South all-conference nods. He also helped Clarence Gallop earn the right to represent the United States at the IAAF Junior World Championships in the hammer.
Aydlette also served three years on the staff at Roanoke College, helping guide the Maroons to three individual conference titles.
A standout thrower during his career at CSU, Aydlette was named to the Big South All-Decade Team. He earned 13 spots on the all-conference team including five first-place finishes and became the first athlete in Big South track and field history to win the same event at the conference meet all four years of eligibility.
Aydlette is married to the former Jessica Dowdy, a former Cougar throws coach, and the couple are parents of daughters Lily and Freya.
