Brenton Emanuel joined the Nebraska track and field staff in July of 2021 and works with sprints and hurdles. 

Emanuel came from Eastern Illinois where he served the Panthers as the Director of Track and Field since June 2018. He was named the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Track Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2021, and the Indoor Track Coach of the Year in 2020. Emanuel coached two OVC Male Track Athlete of the Year honorees and 28 All-OVC first-team performers. 

Prior to serving as the Director of Track and Field, Emanuel was an assistant coach from 2009 to 2014 at Eastern Illinois. He helped the Panthers to nine Ohio Valley Conference Championships and 44 OVC Individual Event Champions. Emanuel also served as an assistant track coach at Illinois State from 2015 to 2018 where he was named the USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018. 

Emanuel is a 2008 graduate of Eastern Illinois where he competed for the men's track team for four years. He served as a team captain and earned second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors. A native of Plainfield, Illinois, Emanuel will be joined by his wife Jessica and their two daughters, Brooklyn and Kamryn, in Lincoln.

Career Honors & Awards

• Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Track Coach of the Year (2019, 2021)
• Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Track Coach of the Year (2020)
• USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Assistant Coach of the Year (2018) 

Former Husker high jump Olympian Dusty Jonas was named a full-time assistant coach on the Nebraska track and field staff before the 2018 season after eight years as a volunteer assistant for the Huskers’ men’s and women’s high jump. Jonas continues to oversee the high jump while also coaching the men’s sprints, hurdles and relays.

Jonas has helped turn the Husker high jump into a dominant event at the Big Ten Conference meets. In 2020, Jonas coached Mayson Connor and Madison Yerigan to fourth place finishes at the indoor conference championship meet. During the 2019 season, Jonas coached Mayson Conner to Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Freshman of the Year honors, after winning both Big Ten Championships in the high jump. Conner’s clearance of 7-3 3/4 (2.23m) indoors is currently tied for the No. 9 mark all-time at Nebraska. Candice Dominguez also captured the women’s high jump title at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.

In 2018, Landon Bartel won his second Big Ten indoor title, adding to his 2016 title. Reka Czuth won the women’s Big Ten outdoor high jump title in 2016 as well. They followed up on James White’s indoor and outdoor titles in 2015. The Husker men won three straight Big Ten indoor titles from 2014-16, and overall the Husker high jumpers have combined for six Big Ten titles in the last five years. 

Jonas coached former Husker All-America high jumper Marusa Cernjul as she qualified for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Cernjul placed 21st representing Slovenia, clearing 6-3 1/2 (1.92m) in her first appearance at the Olympics. She qualified for the Olympics with a personal-best leap of 6-4 (1.93m) at the Slovenian Championships in 2016. She was a first-team All-American and Big Ten champion in the high jump for the Huskers, and with Jonas as her coach following her career, she improved on her collegiate PR (6-1 1/4), by nearly three inches in one year to reach the Olympics.

In 2018, Jonas made a strong first impression as the Huskers’ new men’s sprints, hurdles and relays coach. Antoine Lloyd had a breakout senior season, winning the Big Ten indoor 60m hurdles, the outdoor 110m hurdles, and finishing second and fifth, respectively, at the NCAA Championships. Lloyd broke the 60m hurdles school record (7.60) and was named the Big Ten Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. Additionally, sophomore Luke Siedhoff was a first-team All-American in the 110m hurdles, placing seventh.

Since rejoining the Husker program as a volunteer coach in 2010, Jonas has coached 10 Big Ten high jump champions and 10 first-team All-America high jumpers. Fourteen Huskers have cracked all-time top-10 high jump charts in his nine seasons, and NU athletes have set seven top-10 marks in the sprints, hurdles and relays in his time in that role.

An eight-time All-America high jumper for the Huskers from 2005 to 2008, Jonas won the 2008 indoor national title and outdoor conference title in the high jump. He finished his career as the indoor and outdoor school-record holder, as well as the all-time Big 12 record holder with the second-highest jump ever by a collegian (7-8 3/4, 2.36m).

Following the collegiate season, Jonas signed a professional contract with Nike and competed for Team USA at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Jonas won the bronze medal in the high jump at the World Indoor Championships and also competed in the World Outdoor Championships in 2011. Jonas was the 2013 USA Indoor high jump champion and earned runner-up honors at the 2013 Outdoor and 2010 Indoor Championships. He also won gold at the 2005 USA Junior Championships.

Jonas competed for Team USA a total of eight times in his career, including six times for the senior team and twice for the junior team.

Jonas returned to Nebraska in 2009 to complete his degree in horticulture.

Jonas' Coaching Accomplishments
- 16 Big Ten Champions
- 13 First-Team All-Americans
- 14 Nebraska Top-10 Marks (14 high jump, seven men's sprints, hurdles, relays)
- 1 Olympian (Marusa Cernjul, 2016)

Jonas' Athletic Accomplishments
College - High Jump
Indoor School Record (7-7, 2.31m)
Outdoor School Record (7-8 3/4, 2.36m)
Big 12 Meet Outdoor Record (7-8 3/4, 2.36m)
Big 12 Conference Outdoor Record (7-8 3/4, 2.36m)
No. 2 high jump all-time by a collegian (7-8 3/4, 2.36m)
NCAA Champion (2008 Indoor)
USA Junior Champion (2005)
Pan American Junior Champion (2005)
NACAC U23 Team USA, 4th place (2006)
Collegiate Long Jump PR - 25-5 1/2 (7.76m)

Pro - High Jump
2008 U.S. Olympic Team
2010 USA Indoor Championships Silver Medal
2010 World Indoor Championships Bronze Medal
2010 Continental Cup Team USA member, 5th place
2010 - Ranked No. 9 in the world
2011 USA Outdoor Championships Silver Medal
2011 World Outdoor Championships Team
2013 USA Indoor Championships Gold Medal
2013 USA Outdoor Championships Silver Medal
2014 World Indoor Championships Team

Graduated with her Masters degree in Leadership in Physical Education and Sport from North Dakota State. Competing for the Bison she is a 2x First Team All American in the hammer and 2x second team all American in the weight. Her senior year in 2021, placed 6th in the hammer throw with a mark of 68.61 (225-1ft) and finished 15th at the Olympic Trials. Nilles is continuing to throw the hammer professionally for the track club Velaasa. While training she is a volunteer coach under St.Clair with the Huskers. She plans to coach in the future. 

Matt Wackerly was named Nebraska's head cross country coach, as well as distance and middle distance coach for the track and field program, on June 15, 2021.

Wackerly had served as the Huskers' on campus recruiting coordinator since 2016 and took over the cross country program following the retirement of David Harris.

Before coming to Nebraska, Wackerly was the head cross country coach at NCAA Division III Ohio Wesleyan. He coached eight All-Americans and two NCAA Division III all-time top-10 performers, in addition to the first men's and women's NCAA qualifying teams at Ohio Wesleyan in 25 years. Wackerly coached his athletes to 29 school records and 12 conference records in cross country and distance events. 

Over the last five seasons at Nebraska, Wackerly has led all recruiting efforts and played an instrumental role in signing one of the best men's recruiting classes in Nebraska history in 2018 and 2020. 

Before Ohio Wesleyan, Wackerly was at Stonehill College, where he was an assistant coach for the men's and women's cross country and track and field teams. During his three years at Stonehill, he helped the Skyhawks win a pair of conference championships, the school's first ever in men's cross country. He coached five NCAA Division II All-Americans and three NCAA qualifiers in cross country.

Wackerly is a 1998 graduate of Ashland University. During his undergraduate career, he was a three-time national qualifier in cross country and a three-time conference champion in track for the Eagles. He majored in English and earned a master's degree in sports management from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2003.

Wackerly is a native of Lexington, Ohio. He is married to Angela Palmer-Wackerly, who is an assistant professor of communications at Nebraska. They have one son, Luke.

Jill Sutton joined the Nebraska track and field coaching staff as a volunteer assistant in 2021-22. Sutton assists in coaching the high jump.

Sutton was hired as the assistant jumps coach for the Omaha track and field team in the fall of 2017. She began working with the Mavericks in the fall of 2015 as a volunteer, assisting with the high jumpers. Prior to coming to Omaha, Sutton assisted at Lincoln Pius X High School where she coached the girls All Class State Champion in the high jump.

While at Omaha, Sutton has coached six conference champions, three regional qualifiers, and two All-American performances in the high jump. In 2018, Sutton coached high jumper Stephanie Ahrens to become UNO’s first non-hockey All-American in the Division I era at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

The following year, Ahrens went on to earn her second All-American honor, placing fifth at the indoor championships.

Throughout her career with the Mavericks, Sutton has coached two school records and seven All-Summit First Team awards.

The former Jill Scanlan attended Nebraska where she helped the Huskers win conference championships in 2011 and 2012 while competing in the high jump. In 2013, she posted her personal best mark placing runner-up in the high jump at the Big Ten Championships.  

The native of Plattsmouth, Neb., was a four-year letter winner at NU, earning All-Big XII and All-Big Ten first and second team honors. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication studies with a double minor in English and history.

Cody Brousek joined the Nebraska athletic department in January 2022 and serves as the director of operations for the track and field program.

Brousek joins the Huskers after serving at the director of operations for the cross country and Notre Dame track and field programs since 2017.

As the Irish’s director of operations Brousek was responsible for overseeing the coordination of travel, home meet management, budget, alumni relations, and other day to day operations of the program.

Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, Brousek served in the same role at Wichita State University for the 2016-2017 season.  While at Wichita State, he oversaw eight annual home competitions, served as a board member on the Shocker Track & Field Club and served as an assistant meet director for the Missouri Valley Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Prior to Wichita State, Brousek served in a volunteer position at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he assisted their Director of Operations while teaching junior high social studies at North American Martyrs in Lincoln.

Brousek has been an active member of Eagle Eye Digital Video since 2013.  In that position he has assisted at the Olympic Trials, multiple USA Championships, and multiple NCAA Indoor & Outdoor Championship events.

Brousek is a USATF certified official and holds a Level One Coaching Certificate.

Brousek, a Wahoo, Neb., native was a multiple time all conference performer while at Dana College and Nebraska Wesleyan University.  While at Nebraska Wesleyan, he competed in the heptathlon and decathlon.  Prior to graduation he served as a volunteer assistant coach where he oversaw the combined events.

A 2013 graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan, Brousek holds a bachelor of science in elementary education and special education.

Brousek resides in Lincoln with his wife, Katie.

Joel Keller rejoined the Nebraska track and field program as its on campus recruiting coordinator in July of 2021. Keller previously served as a recruiting assistant before leaving in January of 2020 to be assistant track coach at Texas State.

Before returning to Lincoln, Keller was at Texas State for two seasons, where he lead the distance runners to one of the best years in school history in 2021. Keller led athletes to 18 All-Sun Belt Conference honors, eight Sun Belt Conference individual championships, four school records, two Sun Belt Conference records, multiple meet records and two NCAA West Preliminary Round appearances. Pedro Osorio Lopez won back-to-back Sun Belt Championships in the 800m and 4x400m relay, set the school record in the 1500m (3:48.20), set the indoor conference record in the 800 meters, and ran the second-fastest outdoor time in school history in the 800 (1:48.38). Kwanele Mthembu was named Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year after breaking the conference and school record in the 10,000 meters (28:48.33) and the school record in the 5,000 meters (14:01.37). The teams recorded five top-three finishes in the Sun Belt during Keller's time in San Marcos.
 
Prior to joining the Bobcat staff, Keller served as the assistant recruiting coordinator at Nebraska. The Huskers won the 2019 Big Ten Indoor Men's Conference title and were the Track and Field News Indoor Dual Meet National Champions. While at Nebraska, he was instrumental in signing 65 student-athletes who won 55 individual state championships and came from 14 different states and five countries.
 
Keller went to Nebraska after serving as a volunteer assistant coach at Texas Tech in 2017-18. There, he helped lead the men’s team to the Big 12 Conference Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Red Raiders also tied for fifth place at the NCAA Indoor Championships, finished in sixth place at the NCAA Indoor Championships and were voted the Track and Field News men’s outdoor dual-meet champions. The men’s cross country team also tied for the best conference finish in school history with a fifth-place showing at the Big 12 Championships. His runners had nine All-Big 12 performances at the Big 12 Indoor meet, and the men’s and women’s cross country teams were named NCAA All-Academic Teams with each squad boasting six Big 12 All-Academic recipients.
 
Before joining the Texas Tech staff, Keller coached the 2016-2017 year at Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque, N.M. While at Volcano, he led the boy’s team to a state runner-up finish at the NMAA 6A Track and Field Championships, and a 10th-place showing at the USATF Junior Cross Country Championships. One of his runners, Jericho Cleveland, was the state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200-meters and finished in 10th place at the USATF Junior Cross Country Championships where he later represented Team USA at the NACAC Cross Country Championships. In total, Keller coached six runners who won two individual state championships and boasted six All-State performances.
 
Keller graduated from the University of Indianapolis with a Bachelor of Science in exercise science in 2016. There, he was an NCAA DII national qualifier in the 3,000m steeplechase and earned All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honors in cross country. Keller holds the school record in the 3,000m steeplechase. He also received the William A. Bright Most Valuable Runner in cross country as a junior and served as team captain during his junior and senior years.

Joel's wife, Kieran, was a member of the 2017 NCAA National Champion Cross Country team at the University of New Mexico.