Andrew Valmon has mastered the art of multitasking over the past nine months.

The Terrapins men’s and women’s track and field coach has simultaneously coached his teams, raised nearly $1 million and prepared a revamped U.S. men’s squad for the Summer Olympics.

And now, less than five weeks after helping save the Terps men’s outdoor program from budget cuts, Valmon is tasked with another challenge: leading the U.S. men’s track and field team in London when events begin tomorrow.

It’s no easy objective to help Team USA reach its announced goal of 30 medals. Getting to that point requires long nights.

After claiming 23 medals in 2008, U.S. Track and Field assembled a special task force to reevaluate the state of Team USA. The group ultimately released a 69-page report claiming that “chaos reigned” around the relays, there was a “culture of mistrust” among coaches and athletes based on staff selection, and suggesting “coaches should act and be treated” professionally.

Searching for someone to instill order among its 124 athletes, USATF hired Valmon as its head men’s coach for London in February 2011.

It was a fitting hire. After all, Valmon is no stranger to facilitating large organizations. In addition to coaching Team USA at the 2009 World Outdoor Championships and the 2010 World Indoor Championships, Valmon has led six different Terps squads — men and women’s cross country an indoor and outdoor track — since being hired in 2003.

“He knows how to delegate,” said Roland Desonier, a Terps throwing coach. “He knows what it took to be successful on a personal level. He also knows what it takes to be successful encompassing a team.”

Those skills proved especially critical last season.

In November, the athletics department decided to cut eight teams, including men’s cross country, and men’s indoor and outdoor track. Their only chance for survival? Valmon’s teams had to reach specified fundraising benchmarks by June 30 to stay alive for at least one more season.

Thus, Valmon turned his attention to unifying his program and raising the necessary funds. Prior to the Olympic trials in June, he took care of most of his Olympic responsibilities by conference call. He worked tirelessly during the day calling alumni, making the case that track and field is a foundational sport.

“Maryland track and field was definitely the primary focus for him,” Terps sprinter John Davenport said. “Clearly being a USA coach is something that’s a great honor, but at the end of the day, we were his team first. He let us know that we were his No. 1 priority.”

And it wasn’t for naught. Valmon helped raise the necessary funds to save men’s outdoor track, the only one of the eight announced teams to avoid the July 1 cuts.

Valmon said he wished the team cuts never would’ve happened. They did, though, and the two-time Olympic gold medalist is now drawing upon that situation, along with his experience as a coach and as an athlete, to rebuild a troubled Team USA.

Much like he did with the Terps last season, Valmon is trying to foster a culture that makes the athletes feel like they are part of a team.

“Track and field is largely an individual sport,” Valmon said from London on Tuesday. “But I think this experience is more rewarding when you feel like you are a part of a cohesive team.”

He attends track practice every day, assists athletes who don’t have their personal coaches with them and participates in discussions about policies and procedures.

Over the past month, Valmon has emphasized the lofty expectations placed on the men’s track and field team.

As members of the team that has won more medals than any other country — 315 gold and 744 overall — the athletes know they have exceptionally high standards to meet in London. They’ll have nine days to show why U.S. track and field has long been considered the world’s top teams.

But although Valmon understands the importance of this moment, he has hardly forgotten about his Terps. He plans to return to College Park after the Olympics.

“I have been the head coach for both teams for a while, and I did not want to abandon this group, especially now that we have come this far to save the men,” Valmon said. “So despite the uncertainty for much of the year about the men’s team, my commitment to coaching at Maryland, coaching the women that I recruited to College Park, has not changed.”

letourneau@umdbk.com, walker@umdbk.com