Kansas State University Athletics
Randy Cole Returns to Lead Cross Country Programs
Jun 15, 2022 | Track & Field, Cross Country
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto announced on Wednesday (June 15) that Randy Cole has returned to Kansas State for a second stint as the Wildcats' assistant coach in charge of its men's and women's cross country teams.
A nine-time national coach of the year and a 2002 NJCAA Track and Field Hall of Fame Inductee for his efforts in building Barton County Community College into a national powerhouse, Cole spent eight seasons (1997-2004) at K-State as the head cross country coach and assistant track and field under Rovelto.
"We are excited to welcome Coach Cole back to K-State," said Rovelto. "He has served two previous stints at K-State, the first as a graduate assistant with Coach Miller and the second as out cross country and distance coach a few years after I had first been appointed the head coach at Kansas State. Randy has a broad background having had extremely successful stints at Barton Count Community College, Wyoming and most recently Lindenwood. Coach had great success here at K-State and coached a number of our finest middle distance and distance runners in our school history. He is a very fine coach and an even better person. Our middle distance and distance athletes will have a coach who cares tremendously about their growth as an athlete as well as their education."
During his first stint at K-State, Cole guided a Wildcat women's cross country program that won the Big 12 Championship in 1998 and the 1998, 1999 and 2000 Midwest Region Championships. In 1999, he guided the Wildcats to their highest finish at the NCAA Championships, placing fifth with 232 points. The women's team also finished as the Big 12 runner-up in 1999 and 2000. In all, he coached eight cross country All-Americans, 23 All-Region performers, four All-Region champions and 14 All-Big 12 honorees.
Cole was selected three times as the Women's Cross Country Region Coach of the Year, while he was the 1998 Big 12 Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.
On the track, Cole helped the K-State women's team win the 2001 and 2002 Big 12 Championships. He also coached 12 indoor and three outdoor All-Americans and seven indoor and five outdoor Big 12 champions His athletes also set seven school records.
All told, this will Cole's third stint at K-State after spending three seasons (1981-84) as graduate assistant with the Wildcat men's and women's track and field and cross country programs.
"First of all, I want to thank Coach Rovelto for taking me in and, of course, the athletic department and administration for providing me this opportunity to come back home," said Cole. "I have always respected the great tradition of the track and field and cross country program. It is great to comeback and contribute to that. It is my goal to help all of the student-athletes and future student-athletes have an incredible experience here. It is great to come back to where it all started with graduate school."
Since leaving K-State in 2004, Cole has spent time as the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at Wyoming (2004-12) and Lindenwood College (2012-22), a Division II program located in St. Charles, Mo.
While at Lindenwood, Cole coached numerous student-athletes to athletic and academic honors including five All-GLVC cross country selections, 14 GLVC All-Conference track and field selections, one GLVC track and field conference champion, one GLVC Freshman of the Year, 11 MIAA All-Conference cross country selections, 20 MIAA All-Conference track and field selections, one MIAA track and field conference champion, eight NCAA track and field All-Americans, three NCAA All-Region cross country selections and 12 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team accolades for Cross Country.
During the 2020 cross country campaign, Cole helped Najwa Chouait and Louis Moreau to All-GLVC honors. The men's team placed first at the GLVC Dual Meet and the GLVC West Divisional, concluding the season with a fifth-place finish at the GLVC Cross Country Championships.
The 2018 season was one of Cole's best seasons while at Lindenwood. At the NCAA Central Regional Championships, the men's team finished in fifth, just shy of making the NCAA National Championship. Runner Ero Doce earned All-Region honors at the regional meet. During the track season, Cole helped the distance medley relay squad earn the runner-up spot at the GLVC Indoor Championship. Omar Es Salmouny had the best national finish in the track and field program history after finishing in second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Es Salmouny won the MIAA Championship in the steeplechase as well as All-Conference honors in the outdoor 5,000-meter.
Cole was named the 2017 MIAA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year after the Lions won the MIAA cross country team title. Lindenwood also named him the Athletic Department Coach of the year during the 2017-18 season.
The 2015 men's and women's cross country teams combined to win five competitions, and both squads finished eighth at the MIAA Championships. The highlight of the year was Lisa Feuerherdt finishing ninth at the conference championships and earning All-Conference honors.
In his second season at Lindenwood, Cole rebuilt the cross country program with the majority of the team being just freshmen and sophomores. The Lions placed eighth at the conference meet while the Lady Lions were ninth. On each side, Lindenwood had one athlete place in the top-30.
During the 2012 season, Cole helped Tanya Chibanda set the school record in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:37.18, later surpassed by Feuerherdt in 2016 (4:37.18).
Prior to his stint at Lindenwood, Cole was the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at Wyoming from 2004-12.
While at Wyoming, Cole had five cross country national qualifiers and his athletes won two All-American honors, 17 Mountain West All-Conference selections and 10 NCAA All-Region accolades. He was named the 2004 Mountain West Conference Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year. In track & field, he coached two All-Americans, 12 NCAA qualifiers, seven Mountain West champions and 33 All-Conference performers. Cole's athletes broke 10 school records at Wyoming.
Cole turned Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas into national power during his 12-year stint (1985-1997), guiding the Cougars to 19 team NJCAA national championships, including four in cross country, seven in indoor track and field and eight in outdoor track and field. He was the head cross country coach from 1985-91 before assuming reins of the track program from 1991-97.
A nine-time National Coach of the Year at Barton, Cole coached 96 individual national champions and his athletes were named All-Americans 45 times in cross country, 158 times in indoor track & field, and 125 times in outdoor track & field.
Cole got his start in coaching as the head cross country and track and field coach at Quartz Hill High School in Quartz Hill, Calif., from 1984-85 prior to joining the staff at Barton.
Cole earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1981, while he added a master's degree from K-State in counseling education in 1983.
Cole succeeds Ryun Godfrey, who announced his resignation on Monday (June 13) after nine seasons (2014-22) directing the Wildcat men's and women's cross country and distance programs.
For the latest on K-State Track and Field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
A nine-time national coach of the year and a 2002 NJCAA Track and Field Hall of Fame Inductee for his efforts in building Barton County Community College into a national powerhouse, Cole spent eight seasons (1997-2004) at K-State as the head cross country coach and assistant track and field under Rovelto.
"We are excited to welcome Coach Cole back to K-State," said Rovelto. "He has served two previous stints at K-State, the first as a graduate assistant with Coach Miller and the second as out cross country and distance coach a few years after I had first been appointed the head coach at Kansas State. Randy has a broad background having had extremely successful stints at Barton Count Community College, Wyoming and most recently Lindenwood. Coach had great success here at K-State and coached a number of our finest middle distance and distance runners in our school history. He is a very fine coach and an even better person. Our middle distance and distance athletes will have a coach who cares tremendously about their growth as an athlete as well as their education."
During his first stint at K-State, Cole guided a Wildcat women's cross country program that won the Big 12 Championship in 1998 and the 1998, 1999 and 2000 Midwest Region Championships. In 1999, he guided the Wildcats to their highest finish at the NCAA Championships, placing fifth with 232 points. The women's team also finished as the Big 12 runner-up in 1999 and 2000. In all, he coached eight cross country All-Americans, 23 All-Region performers, four All-Region champions and 14 All-Big 12 honorees.
Cole was selected three times as the Women's Cross Country Region Coach of the Year, while he was the 1998 Big 12 Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.
On the track, Cole helped the K-State women's team win the 2001 and 2002 Big 12 Championships. He also coached 12 indoor and three outdoor All-Americans and seven indoor and five outdoor Big 12 champions His athletes also set seven school records.
All told, this will Cole's third stint at K-State after spending three seasons (1981-84) as graduate assistant with the Wildcat men's and women's track and field and cross country programs.
"First of all, I want to thank Coach Rovelto for taking me in and, of course, the athletic department and administration for providing me this opportunity to come back home," said Cole. "I have always respected the great tradition of the track and field and cross country program. It is great to comeback and contribute to that. It is my goal to help all of the student-athletes and future student-athletes have an incredible experience here. It is great to come back to where it all started with graduate school."
Since leaving K-State in 2004, Cole has spent time as the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at Wyoming (2004-12) and Lindenwood College (2012-22), a Division II program located in St. Charles, Mo.
While at Lindenwood, Cole coached numerous student-athletes to athletic and academic honors including five All-GLVC cross country selections, 14 GLVC All-Conference track and field selections, one GLVC track and field conference champion, one GLVC Freshman of the Year, 11 MIAA All-Conference cross country selections, 20 MIAA All-Conference track and field selections, one MIAA track and field conference champion, eight NCAA track and field All-Americans, three NCAA All-Region cross country selections and 12 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team accolades for Cross Country.
During the 2020 cross country campaign, Cole helped Najwa Chouait and Louis Moreau to All-GLVC honors. The men's team placed first at the GLVC Dual Meet and the GLVC West Divisional, concluding the season with a fifth-place finish at the GLVC Cross Country Championships.
The 2018 season was one of Cole's best seasons while at Lindenwood. At the NCAA Central Regional Championships, the men's team finished in fifth, just shy of making the NCAA National Championship. Runner Ero Doce earned All-Region honors at the regional meet. During the track season, Cole helped the distance medley relay squad earn the runner-up spot at the GLVC Indoor Championship. Omar Es Salmouny had the best national finish in the track and field program history after finishing in second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Es Salmouny won the MIAA Championship in the steeplechase as well as All-Conference honors in the outdoor 5,000-meter.
Cole was named the 2017 MIAA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year after the Lions won the MIAA cross country team title. Lindenwood also named him the Athletic Department Coach of the year during the 2017-18 season.
The 2015 men's and women's cross country teams combined to win five competitions, and both squads finished eighth at the MIAA Championships. The highlight of the year was Lisa Feuerherdt finishing ninth at the conference championships and earning All-Conference honors.
In his second season at Lindenwood, Cole rebuilt the cross country program with the majority of the team being just freshmen and sophomores. The Lions placed eighth at the conference meet while the Lady Lions were ninth. On each side, Lindenwood had one athlete place in the top-30.
During the 2012 season, Cole helped Tanya Chibanda set the school record in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:37.18, later surpassed by Feuerherdt in 2016 (4:37.18).
Prior to his stint at Lindenwood, Cole was the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at Wyoming from 2004-12.
While at Wyoming, Cole had five cross country national qualifiers and his athletes won two All-American honors, 17 Mountain West All-Conference selections and 10 NCAA All-Region accolades. He was named the 2004 Mountain West Conference Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year. In track & field, he coached two All-Americans, 12 NCAA qualifiers, seven Mountain West champions and 33 All-Conference performers. Cole's athletes broke 10 school records at Wyoming.
Cole turned Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas into national power during his 12-year stint (1985-1997), guiding the Cougars to 19 team NJCAA national championships, including four in cross country, seven in indoor track and field and eight in outdoor track and field. He was the head cross country coach from 1985-91 before assuming reins of the track program from 1991-97.
A nine-time National Coach of the Year at Barton, Cole coached 96 individual national champions and his athletes were named All-Americans 45 times in cross country, 158 times in indoor track & field, and 125 times in outdoor track & field.
Cole got his start in coaching as the head cross country and track and field coach at Quartz Hill High School in Quartz Hill, Calif., from 1984-85 prior to joining the staff at Barton.
Cole earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1981, while he added a master's degree from K-State in counseling education in 1983.
Cole succeeds Ryun Godfrey, who announced his resignation on Monday (June 13) after nine seasons (2014-22) directing the Wildcat men's and women's cross country and distance programs.
For the latest on K-State Track and Field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
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