Wes Kittley resigning post to take track and field job at Texas Tech For immediate release July 27, 1999 Wes Kittley, the most successful coach in the history of Abilene Christian University athletics, is resigning his position as the men's and women's head track and field coach to take the men's head coaching position at Texas Tech University. Kittley informed Abilene Christian director of athletics Stan Lambert of his decision Monday afternoon, and he is scheduled to hold a news conference in Lubbock Tuesday afternoon. Kittley also informed Lambert that assistant coaches Cliff Felkins and Kelly Smith will be joining his staff in Lubbock. Kittley won 29 NCAA Division II track and field championships while at ACU, the second most by one coach in NCAA history, trailing only Division III Kenyon College swimming and diving coach Jim Steen. "Wes Kittley has done a remarkable job in leading our track program to a level of excellence that few schools will ever attain," Lambert said. "His program has flourished like no other Division II program, and his record of success has reached levels of achievement that may never be accomplished again in the history of track and field. "Wes has exhibited Christian leadership and has exerted a positive influence on the lives of so many who have attended ACU and have been a part of our track program over the last 17 years," he said. Kittley leaves Abilene Christian after 23 years of service as an athlete, coach and administrator. His last season was a memorable one as his men's and women's won all four NCAA Division II national championships, repeating a feat the school first accomplished in 1996. It remains the only two times in NCAA history that one school has swept all four track and field titles in one season. "This is a hard decision to make because ACU has been my life for so long," Kittley said. "I love this place, and that makes the decision even more difficult. The people here have meant so much to me my family for more than 20 years. But I feel like this is the right time to make this move for myself and for my family. "Professionally there just weren't many challenges left out there in Division II," Kittley said. "Texas Tech is Division I, they have an indoor facility and it's still close to my parents, in-laws and our kids' grandparents. I never wanted to leave ACU; I thought I would retire here. But this is the right thing to do at this time." Kittley, a 1977 graduate of Rule (Texas) High School, earned a BSEd (physical education) from ACU in 1981 and an MEd (school administration) from ACU in 1983. He was a three-year letterman, team captain and NAIA all-America halfmiler for the Wildcats after winning the Texas Class A 800 meters state championship as a high school senior. He spent three years as a graduate assistant and assistant coach for the Wildcat men's and women's track teams before becoming the women's head track coach in 1984. Success - and lots of it - Soon followed. He won the first of his NCAA Division II-record 29 national championships in 1985 when the ACU women the NCAA Division II outdoor championship. That began a remarkable run that saw 20 of his women's teams win national championships, including seven of the last eight (only missing the 1997 outdoor championship to make it a four-year sweep). As the women's coach Kittley's teams won 15 straight Lone Star Conference championships and he was named LSC Coach of the Year 14 times. The women's team has been one of the most dominating programs in the LSC during Kittley's tenure, as evidenced by the fact that an ACU athlete or relay team holds all 20 conference best-ever marks and 17 of the 19 of the LSC meet records. Kittley has coached 44 different NCAA Division II women's champions (indoor and outdoor) and one NCAA Division I champion (high jumper Mazel Thomas in 1987). Also, 88 of his female athletes have been named all-American at the Division II level, 24 have been named academic all-LSC, nine have been named academic all-American and two have earned NCAA Post-Graduate scholarships. He has also coached seven Olympians, two Pan American Games athletes, two Goodwill Games athletes, three World University Games athletes, one World Cup athlete and nine athletes who have qualified for the World Championships. Two of his most dominating athletes - Tracey Barnes and Delloreen Ennis-London - completed their eligibility this spring with a combined 23 NCAA Division II championships between them. Ennis-London, who won both the Penn Relays and Texas Relays titles in the 100 meter hurdles this year, completed her stunning four-year career by winning NCAA championships in all eight short hurdles races (55-meter hurdles indoors and 100-meter hurdles outdoors), becoming the only Division II athlete to ever sweep all eight of those races. In 1993 then-director of athletics Cecil Eager tabbed Kittley to direct a sagging men's program. Kittley immediately turned it back into a winner, capturing the NCAA Division II indoor national championship in his first season as the men's coach. As with the women's program, success soon followed as the men went on to win eight more national championships under Kittley's direction. Like the women, the men's team has won seven of the last eight NCAA Division II indoor and outdoor championships, failing to win only the 1998 outdoor title. During his tenure as the men's coach Kittley's teams have won six straight LSC titles and he has been named LSC Coach of the Year five times. He has coached 29 different NCAA Division II champions, 58 all-Americans, three of his male athletes hold LSC meet records and eight of them hold LSC best-ever records. Also, five of his athletes have been named academic all-America and 14 have been named academic all-LSC. He has coached five Olympians, seven athletes who have competed in the World Championships, one athlete who competed in the Pan American Games, two who competed in the World University Games and one who competed in the Goodwill Games. In 1997 Kittley added the additional duties of associate director of athletics, responsible for working with other members of the ACU coaching staff in day-to-day duties, including scheduling, recruiting, and training and professional development. Felkins has been the throwing coach and director of the university's Powell Fitness Center since joining the ACU staff in 1992. A 1983 graduate of Odessa High, Felkins was a two-year letterman (1987-88) at ACU and received a B.S. Degree in 1990. He was NCAA Division I champion in the discus (200-1 in 1987) and Division II champion in both the discus and hammer in 1987 as a junior and 1988 as a senior. Smith, who completed his seventh year on the ACU coaching staff in 1999, coached hurdles and sprints and relays, as well as serving as the athletic academic coordinator and study skills coordinator for Alpha Academic Services. A 1980 graduate of Dallas Christian High School, Smith was a three-year letterman for the Wildcats in 1981-82 and 1984. He was Lone Star Conference runner-up in the 400 hurdles and all-America in NAIA and NCAA Division II. Smith was TAAPS state champion in the 100 and 200 in high school. He was the head track coach at First Baptist Academy in Dallas (1989) and Dallas Christian High School (1990-92). He received a B.B.A. degree from ACU in 1985 and an MEd in 1994. Kittley said he would begin his duties at Texas Tech sometime in the first two weeks of August. He and his wife, Linda, have three boys: Jonathan, Christopher and Zachary. "We want to say thank you to the entire Kittley family for their commitment and loyalty to the Wildcats over the years and we wish them well in this tremendous challenge of rebuilding the Tech track program," Lambert said. THE KITTLEY ERA Since taking over as the women's head track coach in 1984, Wes Kittley has led the Wildcats to 20 NCAA Division II national championships. And since adding the title as men's coach in 1993, he has led the men to nine more championships, bringing his combined total to 29 national championship teams. Year Women Men 1985 NCAA Division II Outdoor 1986 NCAA Division II Outdoor . 1987 NCAA Division II Outdoor 1988 NCAA Division II Indoor NCAA Division II Outdoor . 1989 NCAA Division II Indoor 1990 NCAA Division II Indoor . 1991 NCAA Division II Indoor 1993 NCAA Division II Indoor NCAA Division II Indoor 1994 NCAA Division II Indoor NCAA Division II Outdoor NCAA Division II Indoor 1995 NCAA Division II Indoor NCAA Division II Outdoor . 1996 NCAA Division II Indoor NCAA Division II Outdoor NCAA Division II Indoor NCAA Division II Outdoor 1997 NCAA Division II Indoor NCAA Division II Indoor NCAA Division II Outdoor 1998 NCAA Division II Indoor NCAA Division II Outdoor NCAA Division II Indoor 1999 NCAA Division II Indoor NCAA Division II Outdoor NCAA Division II Indoor NCAA Division II Outdoor MEN'S:  Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Football | Golf | Tennis | Track and Field WOMEN'S:  Basketball | Cross Country | Softball | Tennis | Track and Field | Volleyball ACU Sports Home | Lone Star Conference | NCAA Last update: July 27, 1999 This page is maintained by Jeremy Parish, parishj@nicanor.acu.edu. Questions concerning this information to Brent Rhodes, rhodesb@nicanor.acu.edu http://www.acu.edu/sports/news/990727-kittley.html