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HBCU Athletic Conference

Wiley University appoints Proven Winner McConnell as Head Cross Country, Track and Field Coach

Christopher McConnell won two Gulf Coast Athletic Conference cross country titles and is a three-time GCAC Coach of the Year.
Christopher McConnell won two Gulf Coast Athletic Conference cross country titles and is a three-time GCAC Coach of the Year.
August 2, 2024

MARSHALL, Texas - Wiley University announces it has appointed Christopher McConnell as head men's and women's cross country and track and field coach.

McConnell joins the Wildcats coaching staff after spending the past season at Talladega College holding the same position and serving as the strength and conditioning coach. Before that, he led Philander Smith University's cross country and track and field teams for eight seasons.

From 2016-2023, he led Philander Smith to two men's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference cross country championships in 2020 and 2022. He coached numerous NAIA National Championship Qualifiers and individual GCAC champions in cross country and track and field. McConnell is a three-time GCAC Coach of the Year.

At Talladega College, his work as the strength and conditioning coach helped the women's volleyball team win its first GCAC title in program history. As head cross country coach, he produced the school's first NAIA national championship qualifier in Decquan Nesbitt. He led the women to a runner-up finish, which included the GCAC runner-up Jewel Cross. During indoor track and field season, he had NAIA national championship qualifiers in the men's 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles and the women's 4 x 400-meter relay, which ranked No. 4 in the country.

McConnell led both teams to runner-up finishes in the 2024 GCAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Jaylen Haynes won the shot put and was co-field MVP. Lamoy Duffus won the women's triple jump. He guided the men's and women's 4 x 100-meter relay to the NAIA national championship. The men ranked No. 5 in the nation and the women were No. 12. Emmanuel Niang was an NAIA All-American in the 60-meter hurdles and the 110-meter hurdles.

"We brought in a winner," said Wiley University Director of Athletics Rafael Gonzalez. "McConnell has been successful everywhere he has been. He will take our cross country and track and field programs to the next level. 

As a college athlete, McConnell competed at Kansas Community College and Huston-Tillotson University, where he was a three-time NAIA All-American - running on the 4 x 400-meter relay team. He was an eight-time first-team All-Red River Athletic Conference selection in the 800-meter run, 1,500-meter run, 3,000-meter run, 5,000-meter run and the 4 x 400-meter and 4 x 800-meter relays. At Port Arthur Memorial and Bloomington High Schools, McConnell was a regional and state qualifier in the 800-meter run and ran on three District Champion cross country teams.

The Wildcats are coming off a runner-up finish at the 2023 GCAC Cross Country Championship and a third-place finish at the 2024 GCAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship. The Lady Wildcats finished fourth in cross country and third in track and field. 

Wiley has experienced great success in track and field with the men winning the 2018 NAIA national title and five straight Red River Athletic Conference titles from 2014 to 2018. The women secured three consecutive Red River Athletic Conference titles from 2015 to 2017 and achieved top-five finishes at the NAIA national championship in 2017 and 2018. McConnell hopes he can bring the programs back to that level of success.

"As an advocate of service, my goal is to serve young men and women by teaching them the 3 core values of success: dedication, discipline, and determination," McConnell said. "I believe that if a person can exhibit these characteristics, they will be successful in all aspects of life. By putting God first and with hard work, success is the fruit that grows from the tree of discipline."

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

For more information about Wiley University, contact Assistant Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing Marlee Archer at communications@wileyc.edu.

For more information about Wiley University men's and women's cross country and track and field teams, visit www.wileyathletics.com or contact Sports Information Director Andrew Glover at adglover@wileyc.edu.

About Wiley University
Wiley University, founded in 1873 and formerly known as Wiley College, is a premier liberal institution, affiliated with the United Methodist Church, with an intentional focus on social good and leadership.