KEVIN MANGAN NAMED UT MARTIN CROSS COUNTRY HEAD COACH
10/15/2019 10:48:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin athletics director Kurt McGuffin has announced the hiring of Kevin Mangan as the eighth head cross country coach in program history.
Mangan was elevated to head coach after spending two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with the UT Martin cross country and track and field programs. Along with his head coaching duties with the cross country program, Mangan will remain an assistant coach on the track and field staff.
"We are happy to promote Kevin to the position of head coach," McGuffin said. "Kevin will help bring some stability to a program that has continually risen and exceeded expectations over the last few years. Under his guidance, we expect the Skyhawk cross country program to continue its elevation."
During his time at UT Martin, Mangan has seen the Skyhawks consistently improve from year-to-year into becoming a regional threat while finishing amongst the top half of conference competitors. As a whole, both Skyhawk squads have garnered regional rankings by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association while mentoring an all-region performer. Meanwhile in track and field, the Skyhawks have tallied numerous program records while garnering four OVC Championship event titles in the DMR, 60m, 60m hurdle and 200m events along with numerous All-OVC performers.
"This has truly been a blessing for me to continue to work with our great student-athletes we have here," Mangan said. "The runners are the ones I'd like to thank most for trusting me to help them accomplish their goals. This fall has been the most fun I've ever had coaching and it's thanks to who they are as athletes and who they are as people."
"I'd like to thank Kurt McGuffin for trusting Coach Lyta and me to continue the vision for our program. In addition to continuing to rise towards the top of the OVC in Cross Country and the distance events in track we also want to continue to take big steps forward with our sprints, middle distance and jumps groups. I would also like to thank Peter Dalton for the work he has done for this program the past few years and mostly for giving me a shot to be an assistant coach here a couple years ago."
Mangan joined the UT Martin coaching staff in the fall of 2017 after spending the previous season as an operation assistant for the distance programs at Florida State where he assisted in a program which featured an individual NCAA Cross Country National Championship qualifier. He assisted Seminole coaches Bob Braman and Kelly Phillips in recruiting, meet management and practice implementation.
With his eyes on a career in the coaching ranks, Mangan joined the Seminole staff after spending two years as a volunteer assistant at Baylor, where he worked under the direction of Todd Harbour and Jon Capron. While in Waco, Mangan also completed his master's degree in sport pedagogy.
As a student-athlete, Mangan competed in cross country and track at the University of Washington, where he earned his undergraduate degree in communications. An outstanding student, he was recognized among Pac-12 All-Academic honorees.
"I've been truly fortunate to learn from some of the best coaches and minds in our sport and feel honored to "stand on the shoulders of giants": Bob Braman, Kelly Phillips, Todd Harbour, Jon Capron, Greg Metcalf, Jason Drake, Mark Mandi, Jon Hughes, Griff Graves, Josh Seitz, Mike Barbee, Emma Petersen, Jamey Harris, David Beauchem, Chris Ruf, Chris Gillies, Peter Thompson, Peanut Harms, Jim Hiserman, Dave Frank, Larry Eder, Terry & Nina Brahm, Doug Chase, Orion Latin, Kevin Robinson, Alex Breitenwischer and Robin Rogers, to name a fraction of those who have positively influenced my career. Their impacts on me have and will help any and all athletes I've ever been privileged enough to coach, I hope they know the positive impact they've had on me."
Raised in Scotts Valley, Calif., he grew up in a family of distance runners as both of his parents competed at the NCAA Division I level. Mangan was an all-league and all-district cross country performer as a senior, when he placed third in the SCCAL Championships and fourth in the Central Coast Sectionals. Additionally, his father was inducted into the California Community College Cross Country and Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2018 after coaching at the College of San Mateo and Foothill College.
"Finally, I would like to thank my parents for their unconditional love and support," Mangan said. "To have the parents I did, who taught me everything they know about running and coaching has been a great asset. Without them I'd be a much worse person and coach and wouldn't be anywhere close to where I am now professionally or personally."
Mangan was elevated to head coach after spending two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with the UT Martin cross country and track and field programs. Along with his head coaching duties with the cross country program, Mangan will remain an assistant coach on the track and field staff.
"We are happy to promote Kevin to the position of head coach," McGuffin said. "Kevin will help bring some stability to a program that has continually risen and exceeded expectations over the last few years. Under his guidance, we expect the Skyhawk cross country program to continue its elevation."
During his time at UT Martin, Mangan has seen the Skyhawks consistently improve from year-to-year into becoming a regional threat while finishing amongst the top half of conference competitors. As a whole, both Skyhawk squads have garnered regional rankings by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association while mentoring an all-region performer. Meanwhile in track and field, the Skyhawks have tallied numerous program records while garnering four OVC Championship event titles in the DMR, 60m, 60m hurdle and 200m events along with numerous All-OVC performers.
"This has truly been a blessing for me to continue to work with our great student-athletes we have here," Mangan said. "The runners are the ones I'd like to thank most for trusting me to help them accomplish their goals. This fall has been the most fun I've ever had coaching and it's thanks to who they are as athletes and who they are as people."
"I'd like to thank Kurt McGuffin for trusting Coach Lyta and me to continue the vision for our program. In addition to continuing to rise towards the top of the OVC in Cross Country and the distance events in track we also want to continue to take big steps forward with our sprints, middle distance and jumps groups. I would also like to thank Peter Dalton for the work he has done for this program the past few years and mostly for giving me a shot to be an assistant coach here a couple years ago."
Mangan joined the UT Martin coaching staff in the fall of 2017 after spending the previous season as an operation assistant for the distance programs at Florida State where he assisted in a program which featured an individual NCAA Cross Country National Championship qualifier. He assisted Seminole coaches Bob Braman and Kelly Phillips in recruiting, meet management and practice implementation.
With his eyes on a career in the coaching ranks, Mangan joined the Seminole staff after spending two years as a volunteer assistant at Baylor, where he worked under the direction of Todd Harbour and Jon Capron. While in Waco, Mangan also completed his master's degree in sport pedagogy.
As a student-athlete, Mangan competed in cross country and track at the University of Washington, where he earned his undergraduate degree in communications. An outstanding student, he was recognized among Pac-12 All-Academic honorees.
"I've been truly fortunate to learn from some of the best coaches and minds in our sport and feel honored to "stand on the shoulders of giants": Bob Braman, Kelly Phillips, Todd Harbour, Jon Capron, Greg Metcalf, Jason Drake, Mark Mandi, Jon Hughes, Griff Graves, Josh Seitz, Mike Barbee, Emma Petersen, Jamey Harris, David Beauchem, Chris Ruf, Chris Gillies, Peter Thompson, Peanut Harms, Jim Hiserman, Dave Frank, Larry Eder, Terry & Nina Brahm, Doug Chase, Orion Latin, Kevin Robinson, Alex Breitenwischer and Robin Rogers, to name a fraction of those who have positively influenced my career. Their impacts on me have and will help any and all athletes I've ever been privileged enough to coach, I hope they know the positive impact they've had on me."
Raised in Scotts Valley, Calif., he grew up in a family of distance runners as both of his parents competed at the NCAA Division I level. Mangan was an all-league and all-district cross country performer as a senior, when he placed third in the SCCAL Championships and fourth in the Central Coast Sectionals. Additionally, his father was inducted into the California Community College Cross Country and Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2018 after coaching at the College of San Mateo and Foothill College.
"Finally, I would like to thank my parents for their unconditional love and support," Mangan said. "To have the parents I did, who taught me everything they know about running and coaching has been a great asset. Without them I'd be a much worse person and coach and wouldn't be anywhere close to where I am now professionally or personally."
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