Eric Gillis is in his 6th season as head coach of the StFX cross country and track programs. He is a three-time Olympian and three-time Canadian marathon champion (2016, 2015, 2014). Returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach in July, 2017, Eric continued his own personal marathon training while coaching at StFX. At the Rio Olympics in 2016, he finished an incredible 10th overall in the marathon, posting Canada’s best result in the event since 1976. He previously competed in the marathon at the 2012 Olympics in London, and in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 10,000m event.

A 2004 Human Kinetics graduate of StFX, Gillis competed for the X-Men for five seasons, culminating in an individual U SPORTS (then CIS) individual national championship victory in 2003, when he was also named the national runner of the year. A four-time All-Canadian athlete and two-time StFX male athlete of the year, Gillis was inducted into the StFX Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. 

Coach Gillis is a three-time AUS Coach of the Year, garnering honours as the women's coach of the year twice (2022, 2021) and men's coach once (2018). He has lead his teams to three AUS championship titles.