William Salvadori Brings Diverse Experience to Philly and Cross Country Program

In August of this year, Cavender Salvadori joined the Temple men's and women's cross country teams as an assistant coach and director of operations. His onboarding came during unthought of circumstances, but it is clear that the perspectives he brings and the relationships he has built have allowed him to provide value to his new teams, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

During his high school running career, Salvadori consistently displayed excellence and wanted to continue to succeed at the collegiate level. "While I was in high school, I was not a part of a championship program, and in college I wanted to be part of a winning culture," said Salvadori. This led him to joining the team at William & Mary.

Salvadori battled injuries in the early stages of his four-year career with the Tribe. However, he found success along the way with sustained health. His accomplishments included four team Colonial Athletic Conference Championships, individual conference champion in the 3,000m steeple, All-East honors in the indoor distance medley relay and individual All-Conference honors in cross country.

Salvadori's success was not limited to his performance on the track and trails. He was selected to serve as the team captain his senior year at W&M. "During my early stages in college, there was a change in culture and my coach thought I embodied that," Salvadori explained as to why he was chosen to lead the Tribe. In addition, he represented the men's cross country team on the student-athlete advisory committee.

Following his graduation from W&M, Salvadori moved to Colorado to work in the non-profit world. While in Colorado, he worked for the You Can Play Project, a group that works to ensure inclusiveness in sports, including LGBT+ athletes, coaches and fans. His work included reaching out to NHL teams to facilitate "Hockey is for Everyone" nights.

In Colorado, Salvadori also began his coaching experience as the recruiting coordinator at Johnson & Wales University in Denver. He explained this as "a great place to start my coaching career," as it was a smaller university.

In 2019, Salvadori decided he wanted to move back home to Wilmington, Delaware while continuing to coach. Naturally, he returned to his high school as a coach for the boy's and girl's cross country teams. "I wanted to help them achieve their lofty goals," said Salvadori. "We ended up winning a Delaware State Championship by dethroning the eleven-year defending champion."

In the early stages of 2020, Salvadori reached out to Temple's Head Cross Country Coach, James Snyder, to inquire about working with the Owls program. Snyder thought that Salvadori would make an excellent fit for the team. "He approaches training the same way we do, both on the track and in the weight room," commented Snyder. "I think the shared philosophy really helps with recruiting."

Salvadori feels as if he has found the right culture for him to grow as a coach at Temple. He explained this in saying "(the Owls) have a culture of winning here, and that is where I want to coach."

While Salvadori has only been on campus for a short period of time and many of the members of the teams have returned home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, student-athletes have already begun to appreciate what Salvadori brings to the team. Junior men's cross country runner, Sean Egan, expressed that "Coach Cav brings a lot of unique perspectives that can improve our team, and his attention to detail and supportive attitude are also something that will be a great asset for us."

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William Salvadori Brings Diverse Experience to Philly and Cross Country Program

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