GJ Hudgens is in his eighth season as Presbyterian’s men’s and women’s cross-country head coach after being hired in May of 2018.
In the fall of 2025, Caroline Rairigh and Noah Kaufman earned Big South All-Academic team honors. David Harner and Kaufman recorded times that ranked among the top five fastest times in school history in the 5K. In the 2025 track season, the Blue Hose set several school records in sprints and distance races while competing in several field events for the first time in school history.
In the fall of 2023, William Johnson and Noah Kaufman broke the program’s record for 5K in the first meet of the season at the Belmont Opener. Johnson garnered Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors while Caroline Rairigh was named to the Big South All-Academic team. In the 2024 track season, several runners set and broke school records in the sprints and distance races.
In the fall of 2022, the women's team tallied its first top-five finish since the 2019-20 season when PC tallied a third and fourth to begin that season. In the Queen City Invite, the Blue Hose tallied five personal records.
In the fall 2021 season, Hudgens had the program’s first Freshman of the Week in program history from Caroline Rairigh. It was the first Big South weekly honor since October 2017. At the Royals Challenge, PC had five personal records.
In the spring 2021 season, Hudgens coached freshman William Johnson who during the Big South Championship posted a 26:44.5 placing him third in the Blue Hose DI record book for freshman and four overall in the DI record book for 8k's. Freshman Grady Coppock with his 8k in the conference championship placed sixth on the same list with Johnson. Hudgens took the teams to four track meets, where numerous student-athletes set program records in various events including Lili Jaraczewski setting the DI program record in the 1500 meter at the USC Open. Johnson set the DI record in the 800 meters three times with his last coming at the USC Open at 1:55.03.
Kieran Schuetterle led the Blue Hose trio in the 400 meters with a 53.55 which broke the school's DI record.
In 2019, Hudgens coached senior William Wise to a school record in the 10k (34:05.4). As a team, the Blue Hose set six personal records at the Royals Challenge.
In 2018, Hudgens coached senior Sally Hart to a school records in the 5k (18:42) and 6k (23:02.1). Hart also finished a program-best 19
th at the Big South Championship while leading the women’s team to 7th, which matched the team’s previous best finish (2016). The men’s team also finished a program-best 7th at the Big South Championship with multiple PRs being achieved by both teams throughout the season.
In the spring of 2019, Hudgens took the teams to four track meets, one indoor and three outdoor, where numerous student-athletes set PRs across various events.
Hudgens came to PC with nine years of experience as a mid-distance and sprint coach. He has coached junior high and high school teams in Nashville, Tenn., to compete on a state level and led others to compete at national meets in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and USA Track & Field Association (USATF).
Before PC, Hudgens was an assistant track coach at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in Atlanta, Ga., while also serving as a USATF Certified Head Coach at Talon Track.
Before his time in Atlanta, Hudgens was an assistant track coach at Christ Presbyterian Academy in Brentwood, Tenn. Since 2009, he has been a private coach, specializing in sprint, middle-distance running, distance running, and general fitness for athletes.
He competed at Alabama for two years, earning Academic All-American Honors in 2007. Hudgens graduated in 2013 from Watkins College of Art, Design, and Film with a degree in Film and Writing.
A former record-holder in the 800-meter at Vanderbilt’s Great 8 Track Meet in 2005, and the 2005 and 2006 TSSAA 800-meter state champion, Hudgens was trained by former Olympic Decathlete Gary Kinder.
