Lucas named new Salisbury University track and field coach

SALISBURY, Md. - The search for a new Salisbury University men's and women's track and field coach has ended as Michael Vienna, Director of Athletics and Recreation, announced the hiring of Kevin Lucas as the new head coach.

Lucas, 30, comes to Salisbury after serving as the head cross country and track and field coach at Heidelberg College, a Division III school and member of the Ohio Athletic Conference. Lucas guided the men's programs for four seasons and the women's programs for the past two.

"We are excited to hire Kevin Lucas to our staff. He was an All-American student-athlete and has proven in his four years as a head coach to be a rising star in the coaching profession," said Vienna. "We feel fortunate to have been able to attract Kevin to lead our successful men's and women's track and field programs."

The Russellville, Ohio, native takes over the reigns for Jim Jones, another Ohio native, who is still the head men's and women's cross country coach at SU. Jones guided the Salisbury track and field program to new heights in his nine seasons at the helm. The Sea Gulls are the five-time defending Capital Athletic Conference men's track and field champions. In 2008, Jones was named the CAC Men's Coach of the Year for the fifth straight season as 31 Sea Gulls earned all-conference honors.

"This is a place I can come in and continue the success and build on it," said Lucas. "Coach Jones has definitely been doing something right. He and I have a similar mindset when it comes to track and field."

Lucas is excited about the returning core of SU track and field student-athletes in '09.

"We have a lot of strength all around on the men's side. We need to build on those strengths," said Lucas. "On the women's side we need to build some numbers. The biggest thing is this is our team. We are going to be successful and we are going to work hard."

Lucas guided the Heidelberg men's track and field team to a third place finish in the OAC while the women's team finished seventh in 2008. The two teams combined to earn 20 all-conference honors, including relay teams. During the indoor season sprinter Judy Bataille was the national champion in the 55-meter dash and became the first-ever Women's Indoor Track and Field All-American in program history. On the men's side Lucas coached Greg Tyson Jr., a seven-time indoor and outdoor track and field All-American, to back-to-back indoor long jump national championships in 2006 and 2007. He earned All-American honors in the long jump three times during the outdoor season (2005-07) where he was also a member of the Heidelberg All-American 4x400 meter relay team (2007). Tyson was also an indoor All-American in the triple jump (2006). Cory Beebe is the other men's standout to earn All-American status multiple times. Beebe is a two-time All-American in the 400-meter hurdles (2006 and 2007) and a member of the relay team with Tyson.

In his first year guiding the Heidelberg women's indoor and outdoor track programs Lucas guided the team to its best finish in the OAC since 2000. The program garnered 24 all-conference honors including five individual championships.

Lucas spent the 2003-04 season as an assistant coach at his alma mater Wilmington College (Ohio) where he was the sprint coach for the men's and women's track and field teams. He helped the Quakers finish 18th overall in the nation, earn six All-American honors including two national runners-up.

Lucas earned bachelor's degrees in business administration and communication from Wilmington in 2001. He was a four-year track and field letter winner for the Quakers where he was named the team's Most Valuable Runner twice (1999 and 2000) and Clyde Lamb nominee in 2001. He set the OAC indoor record in the 400-meter dash and HCAC Outdoor record in the same event. Lucas earned All-American honors in 2001 and is a nine-time Division III Academic All-American and nine-time national qualifier.

From 2001 to 2003, Lucas attended Heidelberg and earned his master's degree in education. For two years, he served as an assistant cross country and track and field coach. He worked with decathlete Darren Nelson, who finished fourth overall in the 2002 national championships for The Student Princes.

He and his wife Susan have a son Colin and are in the transition of moving to Salisbury from Ohio.