Brent Chumbley passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, January 30, 2025. He was 55 years old and is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and daughter, Alex.
On Thursday, August 1, 2019, Director of Athletics Todd Stewart announced the hiring of Brent Chumbley as the Director of the WKU Cross Country and Track & Field programs.
In Chumbley's second year at WKU (2020-21), he was able to oversee all three seasons of Cross Country, Indoor Track & Field and Outdoor Track & Field for the very first time. Under Chumbley's direction, Brooks LeCompte coached an entire cross country season while Tosha Ansley joined in for the indoor and outdoor track seasons. This also marked the first season the staff hosted the annual Hilltopper Relays on April 2-3.
Chumbley added coaching high jump to his repertoire for 2021 as Grace Turner tied for third in the indoor event at the C-USA Championships with a personal best jump of 5' 6.5" in her pole vault spikes. During the indoor season, he also coached Brett Brannon and John Elam to fourth and fifth-place finishes, respectively, at the C-USA Championships in the weight throw.
In the outdoor season, the throwing and pole vault groups hit multiple PRs. Devon Montgomery cleared the third and fourth-best pole vault heights in school history, marking his personal best of 4.73 meters at the Kentucky Invitational. Montgomery would go on to score in pole vault at the conference championships.
Freshman Kaison Barton had a 0.5-meter PR in the shot put at the C-USA Championships for a standout, second-place performance and throw of 17.01 meters. He narrowly missed out on qualifying for NCAA East Regionals with the mark. The throwing group had two ninth-place performances at the league championships including Brannon in hammer throw and Elam in shot put.
His first season on The Hill was as eventful as it could be following the cancellation of spring sports and the Track & Field programs' outdoor season due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Nonetheless, Chumbley made the most of 2019-20 with both the Cross Country and Track & Field programs. He made multiple assistant coach hirings for the six programs including Tosha Ansley (Sprints, Hurdles, Relays) on Sept. 3, 2019; Lionel Nau (Jumps) in December 2019; and Brooks LeCompte (Head Cross Country Coach/Distance Coach) on Jan. 22, 2020. Chumbley himself leads throws and pole vaulting for the track & field squads.
Under Chumbley's leadership, WKU hosted the Conference USA Cross Country Championships for the first time since the 2015 season. Across the men's and women's teams, 20 student-athletes competed throughout the season and 18 runners notched personal bests. Nine student-athletes competed in NCAA Regionals, marking the first time WKU sent runners to the Regional Championships since 2016.
During the 2019-20 Indoor Track & Field season, WKU won 19 event titles, with student-athletes in their first season on The Hill accounting for 11 of those 19. Junior transfer Dartez Hamlin recorded three personal-best times at the C-USA Indoor Championships, including his 21.12 mark in the 200-meter dash to win the event title.
Prior to returning to the bluegrass state, Chumbley had a 13-year stint at Radford University that saw him head both the men’s and women’s track & field squads while overseeing the school’s cross country efforts. After a season in Radford as the throws coach, the Paris, Ky., native took on the role of interim program director for the Highlanders during the 2007-08 campaign. One season later, Chumbley dropped the interim tag and became the school’s director of track and field/cross country – a position he would hold until summer 2019.
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In his season as the interim program director, the men’s indoor track & field squad posted its best-ever finish at the Big South Championships, placing second. The men’s and women’s teams would combine for seven individual All-Conference performers at the event. The outdoor season saw continued success with two women and seven men qualifying for the NCAA East Preliminaries including sophomore Kyle Morse who won the meet’s hammer throw title and went on to become Chumbley’s first All-American at Radford – the fifth in program history.
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Under Chumbley’s watchful eye, Radford produced a total of 168 All-Conference performers, 41 Big South champions, 37 NCAA Preliminary qualifiers, six All-Americans and an NCAA East Prelims champion. During his tenure, Chumbley saw 73 Highlander school records reset.
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Chumbley led the Highlanders’ men’s squads to seven top-five finishes, not to mention a pair of runner-up showings. On the women’s track & field side, Chumbley has helped secure eight combined top-five finishes, including one at each of the last four Big South Championships. After leading the women’s indoor track & field squad to a third-place finish at the 2015 Big South Championships, Chumbley was recognized as the league’s Women’s Indoor Coach of the Year.
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Prior to his arrival at Radford, Chumbley spent four seasons as an assistant at Illinois State. In his time with the Redbirds, Chumbley produced a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, two NCAA Championship qualifiers, 17 NCAA Preliminary qualifiers, eight conference champions and 23 All-Conference performers.
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In his one-year stop at Murray State, Chumbley helped produce a conference champion and 17 All-Conference performers in addition to guiding his group to four school records.
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While earning his master’s degree in teaching (physical education) from Hastings College (Neb.), Chumbley coached the NAIA affiliate program to new heights with two All-Americans, 12 NCAA qualifiers, one multi-event national champion and 17 school records.
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A 1998 graduate from the University of Kentucky with a degree in education and kinesiology, Chumbley also helped the Wildcats’ program as an intern under the direction of head coach John Kenneson.
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Chumbley was an All-Conference performer in the hammer throw while at Marshall University and a three-time Kentucky high school state champion during his prep days.
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Between his time at Marshall as a student-athlete and when he earned his Bachelor’s degree from Kentucky, Chumbley spent three years in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., where he served as an 82
nd Airborne Division combat engineer. Following his service, he spent three more years working before going back to school.
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In addition to his coaching experience at the collegiate level, Chumbley brings a wealth of knowledge from the King of the Ring Throws Festival, Redbird Track and Field Camp, Urbana Coaches Clinic, Central Illinois Track Club and the Chumbley/Fister Throws Camp.
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Chumbley also spent time as a volunteer coach at Georgetown College (1999) and was in participation with the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
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He and his wife Jennifer have one daughter, Alex.
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Chumbley is the 13
th individual to direct the men’s cross country and track & field programs on The Hill and the sixth coach on the Lady Topper side. He takes over following the departure of Erik Jenkins who had led the programs since 2008.
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THE BRENT CHUMBLEY FILE
PERSONAL
Born: September 28, 1969
Hometown: Paris, Ky.
High School: Paris HS
College: Marshall 1989-91; Kentucky 1997-98
Wife: Jennifer
Children: Daughter, Alex (13)
COMPETITION
High School: Paris HS
College: Marshall University (1989-91)
CAREER TIMELINE
1989-91: Marshall – Student-Athlete
1991-94: Stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., Army Base – 82
nd Airborne Division Combat Engineer
1997-98: Graduated from Kentucky/Intern with track & field
1998-99: Georgetown College – Volunteer Assistant Coach
1999-2001: Hasting College (Neb.) – Graduate school/Throws Coach
2001-02: Murray State – Assistant Coach
2002-06: Illinois State – Assistant Coach
2006-07: Radford – Assistant Coach
2007-08: Radford – Interim Director of Track & Field/Cross Country
2009-19: Radford – Director of Track & Field/Cross Country
2019-present: WKU – Director of Cross Country and Track & Field
