Kevin Kean has been named Head Track and Field Coach at Tiffin University.
Kean most recently served for seven years as Head Coach at Bemidji State for the cross country and track and field programs. While there, he revitalized the programs and brought the Beavers to prominence within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and NCAA Division II.
While guiding the Beavers, Kean helped develop four NCAA National Championship qualifiers leading Bemidji State to progressively better finishes at the NSIC Championships. Since Kean took over, Bemidji State set 18 indoor, 13 outdoor and three cross country program records. He has also overseen 126 selections to NSIC All-Academic Teams.
Kean previously coached for Tiffin University's track program from 2013-15 under former Head Coach Jeremy Croy. During that period, the Dragons started to achieve great things at the national level, qualifying for nationals in 63 events and posting 30 All American performances along with four national championships by Lamar Hargrove (60 m, 200m). New school records were set in the outdoor triple jump, heptathlon, javelin, and decathlon, as well as the indoor pentathlon, all of which are still in the record books.
Before Tiffin, Kean spent four seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Northern Michigan University. At NMU he was responsible for an overhaul of the Wildcats' Olympic weightlifting programs, helped create and implement the training programs for multi-event athletes, sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers, provided oversight of the team's stretching and pre-habilitation regiments, and provided the team with nutritional education. In addition, he served as a member of the NMU faculty in the fall of 2011 and spring of 2012.
As a collegiate assistant coach, Kean worked with 50 Division II national championship qualifiers, 15 All-Americans, 16 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions and multiple GLIAC record-holders.
Kean also spent two summers as a volunteer assistant coach and nutrition leader at The John Godina Throwing Camp and served as a volunteer at the Roger Kingdom and Friends Track and Field Camp.
Kean carries multiple USA Track and Field and USTFCCCA certifications.
A 2009 graduate of Northern Michigan with a bachelor's degree in health education and physical education, Kean also earned a master's degree from NMU in exercise science.
"I'm thrilled to be back at Tiffin University and its established winning culture, as I get to share my experience with such a great staff and student body," said Kean. "With access to such incredible track and field resources and an administration that supports us, this is a great opportunity for our Dragon family to build towards many more championships. While Coach Croy has moved along, it is now my honor to help the athletes and our team grow to new heights, personal records, and elite status once again."
"We are so excited to have Kevin Kean back as a Dragon," said Athletic Director Lonny Allen. "He has proven that he will be an effective leader of our program and understands the culture of athletics at Tiffin University. Kevin is an established head coach at the NCAA Division II level and has experience working with national championship-caliber athletes. With his familiarity with Tiffin and recruiting the state of Ohio, Kevin will provide a seamless transition to the head coaching position. We look forward to him leading us into the next chapter of the track and field program."