BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Track & Field head coach Erik Jenkins has announced the hiring of Ryan Walling as an assistant coach who will work primarily with the Hilltopper distance runners. Walling, a native of Cary, N.C., joins the Red and White following his time at Ole Miss where he mentored 10 NCAA First-Team All-American finishers.
"Coach Walling is a welcomed addition to the staff," stated Jenkins. "He is an accomplished runner and has helped develop some outstanding athletes at Ole Miss. His experience as an extremely competitive student-athlete and his knowledge as a coach will help in the continued development of our distance program."
Walling graduated from North Carolina in 2015 where he double majored in economics and exercise and sport science. At Chapel Hill, Walling was a four-year member of both the track & field and cross country teams. He was a two-time NCAA Cross Country Championships competitor, two-time Cross Country All-Region performer and three-time All-ACC honoree.
Following his graduation from UNC, Walling headed to the SEC from 2015-17, working on the Ole Miss track & field coaching staff focusing primarily in distance events. While in Oxford, Walling picked up his MBA with a concentration in sports administration. With eligibility remaining upon heading to Ole Miss, Walling added a pair of SEC event titles to his resume and won the Cliff Harper Trophy, which goes to the highest point-scorer at the SEC Indoor Championships. Walling added two All-American accolades to his list and also earned Academic All-American status during his time in Mississippi.
At Ole Miss, Walling worked directly under Rebels' distance coach Ryan Vanhoy and head coach Connie Price-Smith while guiding distance and middle distance runners on both the men's and women's sides. While on the Ole Miss staff, Walling saw the Rebels secured a fourth-place podium finish at the Men's NCAA Cross Country Championships with two All-American performers and a distance medley relay national title.
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