University of Central Missouri Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Matt Howdeshell announced Thursday, August 8, the hiring of Kevin Paterson as the new head coach for the University of Central Missouri Track & Field program.
Paterson is the fourth head coach for the Mules program and sixth for the Jennies program since 1982.
Paterson comes to Warrensburg after five standout seasons (2019-24) as the head coach for the Lenoir-Rhyne University Track & Field and Cross Country Programs in Hickory, North Carolina.
During his time at Lenoir-Rhyne, Paterson coached 58 NCAA Division II All-Americans, including eight NCAA Individual National Champions and four NCAA National Runners-Up, and had three top-10 and six top-25 team finishes at the NCAA Championships. He led the Bears to the 2022 South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championship and coached an impressive 50 conference champions.
During the 2023-24 season, Paterson coached Lenoir-Rhyne student-athlete Alexis Brown to NCAA Division II National Championships in the 100m dash (outdoor), 60m dash (indoor) and 200m dash (indoor). Brown's time of 7.18 in the 60m dash broke the meet record and tied the NCAA Division II All-Time record. In addition, Paterson led the women's 4x100m relay to a national title at the outdoor championships.
He was named the 2024 Outdoor Women's Southeast Region Coach of the Year and garnered recognition as the 2024 SAC Indoor Men's Coach of the Year. In his tenure at Lenoir-Rhyne, Paterson earned either region or conference coach of the year accolades six times between both indoor and outdoor men's and women's programs.
Paterson's student-athletes at Lenoir-Rhyne broke 30 men's and 29 women's school records and posted 257 NCAA Southeast All-Region honors and 181 SAC All-Conference accolades.
In addition, three student-athletes received prestigious Academic All-America recognition for their performances in the classroom and in competition.
Prior to his time at Lenoir-Rhyne, Paterson spent four years (2015-19) as the Director of Men's & Women's Cross Country/Track & Field at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, where he was the NACC Indoor and Outdoor Coach of the Year five times and recorded a combined eight NACC Conference titles (four indoor, three outdoor and one cross country).
Additionally, Paterson coached four NCAA National Champions and 22 All-Americans during his time at Benedictine.
Before arriving at Benedictine, Paterson served as the head track & field and cross country coach for his alma mater, Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting, Indiana, from 2012-2015.
Prior to returning to Calumet College of St. Joseph as the head coach, he was a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Illinois-Chicago (2012), and an assistant cross country/track & field coach at Bacone College (2011-12) in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Indiana Tech (2010-11) in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Paterson, who is originally from Hobart, Indiana, earned a bachelor's degree in management in 2009 from Calumet College of St. Joseph before receiving a master's degree in management from Calumet College of St. Joseph in 2014.
As a track & field student-athlete at Calumet College of St. Joseph, Paterson was a two-time team captain, totaled eight school records in two years with the program, and graduated as one of the most accomplished student-athletes in school history.
What they're saying about Coach Paterson…
"Kevin has been successful at every stop he's had in his coaching journey. His ability to connect, develop and inspire has been his greatest attribute that has taken schools to the podium at the NCAA level and championships at the conference level. I'm excited to see what he does with the Mules & Jennies as they move towards a new era of track and field at UCM."
- James Kearney, Head Cross Country Coach, Lewis University
"I've known Kevin Paterson for the last 15 years, and he is truly one of the best coaches in the country. He has constantly exceeded expectations and his role as a mentor and leader is obvious to everyone around him. I'm excited to watch him take the Central Missouri Mules & Jennies Track & Field programs to new heights."
- Shawn Venable, Associate Head Track & Field Coach, Liberty (Va.) University
"Congratulations to Central Missouri and their new track coach! Moving on from a legend in Kip Janvrin is difficult. Hiring Kevin Paterson is a great move and will help lead the program in a new and exciting direction. KP is a great coach but an even better person! I am looking forward to competing against him and his team this year. Welcome to the MIAA, Kevin!"
- Brandon Masters, Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach, Northwest Missouri State University
"UCM is getting an outstanding coach and leader in Kevin Paterson. I was fortunate to work alongside Kevin for a few years in the past, and he showed tremendous work ethic to provide a great experience for his student-athletes. Kevin is a proven winner at every one of his previous stops and UCM should expect a high level of success in their future."
- Paul Zavala, Head Track & Field Coach, University of Illinois-Chicago
