Provided by Texas Tech Athletics<\/p>\n
LUBBOCK, Texas (TTU) – Wes Kittley, the longest tenured Texas Tech head coach in school history, will now have Drive of Champions officially renamed in his honor, Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt announced Thursday.<\/p>\n
The start of the 2025-26 year marked Kittley\u2019s 27th season at the helm of the track and field program. The Wes Kittley Drive of Champions was formally announced Thursday morning during a regularly-called meeting of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents.<\/p>\n
\u201cTexas Tech is proud to honor coach Wes Kittley, a leader, who in nearly three decades, has built one of the nation\u2019s premier track and field programs,\u201d Hocutt said. \u201cNaming this street Wes Kittley Drive of Champions recognizes not only his historic achievements, but the culture of belief, discipline and integrity he\u2019s instilled in generations of Red Raiders.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kittley began his tenure at Texas Tech in 1999 following a highly-successful stretch at Abilene Christian where he led the Wildcats to 29 national titles. Since then, he\u2019s become one of two coaches in Tech history to bring home a national title, with a resume that includes 16 Big 12 team titles, 37 NCAA individual champions and 227 Big 12 individual champions. On the biggest stage of them all for track and field, the Olympic Games, 24 Olympians have come out of his program, including a record 11 Red Raiders at the most recent 2024 Games in Paris. In the fall of 2024, Kittley was inducted into the Texas Tech Athletics Hall of Honor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI say something to my kids all the time \u2013 be humble and hungry,\u201d Kittley said. \u201cI am truly honored by this. The greatest 27 years of my life have been here at Texas Tech, and it\u2019s just been an incredible run for me, even though I\u2019m not quite done yet. I did not see this coming, but I\u2019ve always heard a few people kidding about it. I\u2019m just so blessed to be here and every year I have said this but, it\u2019s the greatest time to be at Texas Tech. I always want to have an opportunity to change a young person\u2019s life, and Tech has given me that opportunity for so many years. Thank you again for putting up with me for all this time and giving me the opportunity to raise my kids in Lubbock \u2013 the greatest place in the world to live.\u201d<\/p>\n
Texas Tech is coming off another impressive indoor season which saw the men and women sweep the conference indoor titles for a second-straight season, while adding two more national champions \u2013 Temitope Adeshina (high jump) and Jonathan Seremes (triple jump). The Red Raiders will travel to Tucson, Ariz., next week in hopes of winning both Big 12 outdoor titles for a consecutive season.<\/p>\n
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