BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- WKU head track and cross country coach Erik Jenkins has agreed to a new four-year contract to remain at the helm of one of the university's most successful programs, Director of Athletics Todd Stewart announced Friday afternoon.
Jenkins' current contract was set to expire June 30, 2015 and his renewed contract will run through June 30, 2019. The WKU Board of Regents approved Jenkins' new contract Friday morning.
Jenkins has led the WKU men's and women's track and cross country teams to a combined 27 conference titles and been named the league coach of the year 18 times since being named WKU's head coach on Jan. 1, 2008. The Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers have competed in 46 conference championship meets since Jenkins became head coach and they have walked away with 27 championships in that span. Additionally, Jenkins has developed 57 All-Americans in eight seasons to go along with 104 NCAA Championship qualifiers.
"I've always said the next step for WKU as an athletic program is sustained postseason success and under Erik Jenkins' direction, our track and cross country programs have certainly set that bar high," said Stewart. "Erik has guided our programs to 27 combined conference championships, consistently sent handfuls of athletes to the NCAA Championships and produced nearly 60 All-Americans in his first eight seasons as a head coach. He is a WKU alum that has further lengthened the program's rich. He has established WKU as not only a Conference USA power, but also a nationally prominent program. We remain in great hands moving forward with Erik as our head coach."
"I'd like to thank President Dr. Gary Ransdell, Todd Stewart and the administration for their continued support of the WKU track and field and cross country programs," said Jenkins. "Their support allows us to recruit and develop our student-athletes in a first-class environment. I'd also like to thank my staff for its hard work in making WKU the special place that it is for our student-athletes. I couldn't be happier to remain at my alma mater as we continue to build WKU as a national brand."
Jenkins led the Hilltoppers to the Conference USA Indoor Track and Field Championship in February and guided the Lady Toppers to the C-USA Outdoor Championship in 2015, WKU's inaugural season in the league. Nine athletes represented WKU at the NCAA Championships this past season, including C-USA Female Track Athlete of the Year and First Team All-American long jumper Ventavius Sears.
The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) recognized Jenkins as its Southeast Region Men's Coach of the Year for the second-straight season earlier this month. The Hilltoppers reached No. 25 in the USTFCCCA poll, marking their first national ranking in program history. He was also named the C-USA Men's Indoor and C-USA Women's Outdoor Coach of the Year.
Jenkins has tutored eight-straight Lady Topper track or field athletes to a conference athlete of the year award, including 2015 C-USA Female Track Athlete of the Year Chioma Agwunobi. Agwunobi became the first sprinter in school history to qualify for nationals in two sprinting events and walked away from the NCAA Championships with three Honorable Mention All-America honors.
