FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – After eight successful seasons with the Northern Arizona University track and field program, throws coach Mohamad Saatara will be moving to Ann Arbor, Mich., to coach field events at the University of Michigan. During his span at NAU, Saatara helped guide the Lumberjacks to 12 Big Sky Conference men's and women's team championships.

"Coach Saatara has been an integral part to our track and field program at NAU for eight years and it will be a huge loss for the program," Director of Track and Field & Cross Country Eric Heins said. "We have had coaches come and go before, and I know that we will be able to find qualified candidates to help continue the growth of our throws program that he really built a strong reputation for during his tenure."

While coaching at NAU, Saatara has coached more than 20 Big Sky individual champions and guided more than 30 student-athletes to the NCAA Regional Championships. This past season, Saatara coached four Big Sky champions -- Shelby McCray (women's discus), Javier Villarreal (men's shot put), Curtis Durocher (men's hammer), Andres Rossini (men's discus). Both Villarreal and Rossini went on to represent the Lumberjacks at the outdoor championships.

In the summer of 2008, three of Saatara's athletes competed at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Amin Nikfar, a volunteer assistant at Northern Arizona who trained under Saatara for two years, set the Iranian national outdoor record and qualified for the shot put. Former student-athlete Georgina Toth qualified in the hammer throw, and Zara Northover (Jamaica) made it to Beijing to compete in the shot put.

Saatara came to NAU after a stint at his alma mater, Cal State Los Angeles, where he served as the interim head coach for the program. He is a former All-American at CSULA, setting the Iranian national record in the weight throw in 1997 with a toss of 20.06 meters (65 feet, 9 inches). He finished second in the hammer throw at the 1995 Division II national championships. Saatara is a USA Track and Field Level II certified coach and is married to his wife of four years, Diane.