Director of Men's and Women's Track and Field and Cross Country
Texas Tech Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Wes Kittley enters his 14th season at the helm of the Red Raider and Lady Raiders in 2013. The architect of a track and field dynasty at nearby Division II Abilene Christian, Kittley has built the Texas Tech program into a perennial power on the national stage for the past decade.
Under his tutelage, Texas Tech has produced 12 Olympic Qualifiers, four Olympic Medalists, 16 national champions, 205 All-Americans and 95 Big 12 Champions. Meanwhile he guided Texas Tech to its first Big 12 team title in school history as the Red Raiders took home the men's Big 12 Championship during the 2005 season.
At the 2012 London Olympics, the Texas Tech track and field program was represented with a contingent of seven former athletes - all of whom competed at Texas Tech during Kittley's tenure. The group brought home three medals - a gold, silver and bronze.
Most recently, Texas Tech produced the 2012 men's NCAA Cross Country Champion as Kennedy Kithuka went undefeated in seven meets during the 2012 season on his way to taking home the NCAA crown and being named the 2012 Male Athlete of the Year for the 2012 cross country season.
Kittley has been recognized nationally for his efforts at Texas Tech as he has twice been named the Women's Regional Coach of the Year in the last four years. Kittley most recently earned the recognition following the 2012 season after receiving the award in 2009.
Kittley and his renowned coaching staff have produced four NCAA Champions in the last four seasons. That streak began as Sally Kipyego, the most decorated individual athlete in NCAA history, ended her remarkable career with her ninth NCAA Championship as she won the women's indoor 5,000-meter crown in 2009.
Kipyego made history as an athlete under Kittley and his staff. The Kenyan native broke the NCAA record with nine national titles during her career in both track and field and cross country before going on to qualify for the Kenyan Olympic team. At the 2012 London Olympics she won silver in the 10,000-meter run before nearly medaling again in the 5,000-meter run and finishing fourth.
Meanwhile, thrower D'Andra Carter went on to win Tech's second national title of 2009 during the outdoor season as she became Texas Tech's first discus national champion. She was followed by Julian Wruck who won a men's discus title during the 2011 outdoor season.
Texas Tech brought home a total of 32 All-America honors during the unprecedented 2010 season, 17 indoor and 15 outdoor honors being claimed by Red Raiders and Lady Raiders under Kittley's watch.
Following the 2005 men's Big 12 Championship meet, Kittley led 31 of his athletes, the most of any program in the country to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Kittley moved to Lubbock after leading one of the most successful programs in the history of collegiate track and field. While at Abilene Christian University, Kittley won an unprecedented 29 national track and field championships, the most in Divisions I and II combined. His total is only three short of the all-time record held by Division III Kenyon College swimming and diving coach Jim Steen.
Kittley won his first national championship in 1985 when his women's Wildcat squad won the Division II outdoor championship, a title he would win again in `86, `87 and `88. When ACU combined their programs in 1993, Kittley was selected to head the men's team, as well. He wasted no time taking a floundering men's program to an elite level, winning the Division II indoor title in his first season.
His 15-year tenure at ACU included coaching 12 Olympic qualifiers, three Pan-American Games athletes, five World University Games athletes, 16 athletes who have qualified for the world championships and one United States national champion.
In the fall of 2006, Kittley was honored by the Lone Star Conference for his coaching efforts while at ACU as he was named to the conference's Hall of Honor.
Kittley is married to the former Linda Rhoads, and the couple has three sons, Zachary, Christopher and Jonathan.
2000-present Texas Tech University Head Coach
1993-99 ACU, Men's Head Coach
1985-99 ACU, Women's Head Coach
