Southern Miss Track and Field head coach Kevin Stephen announced his decision to leave the university after serving 15 years with the program.
Before taking over as head coach for the last seven years, he served as the assistant coach on the team for eight seasons.
“I appreciate Kevin Stephen’s hard work and commitment to Southern Miss student-athletes during his 15-year tenure,” said Southern Miss Director of Athletics Bill McGillis. “Our Track and Field student-athletes’ best interests have always been at the heart of Kevin’s leadership.”
During the 15-year span, Stephen has instructed six NCAA All-Americans, four first team and two second team selections, coached one NCAA Champion, one runner-up and a NCAA individual event record holder. He has also helped the program to produce 18 Conference USA champions in 13 different events, three C-USA meet record holders, witnessed 65 all-league performers and two conference performers of the meet. Not to mention, his players accounted for 24 school records with all of them in throwing and multi events.
“The most valuable thing I take away is the relationships I built over the years, having a chance to positively influence young lives made every day of work more than worth it,” said Stephen. “I’d like to thank the athletic administration at Southern Miss for giving me the opportunity to lead the Track and Field as well as the Cross Country programs for the past seven years.”
In his last three years alone, the Trinidad and Tobago native made noteworthy contributions to the program, putting Southern Miss as the only C-USA school in 2011 to contribute to the Capital One Cup and three Top 15 NCAA team finishes in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
In addition, he finished second in voting for the C-USA Women’s Coach of the Year, mentored eight C-USA champions in the last two seasons, finished second best in school history in the 2012 C-USA Outdoor Championship with five Top 3 finishes among individual athletes and overall third place for the team, produced all three of the school’s NCAA champions and 13 All-Americans in a three year span.
In 2014, Stephen helped eight players earn a spot in the East Preliminary Round, six all-conference performers including a pair of first-team selections and assisted Randy McCoy, who captured the indoor 60-meter hurdle event championship and qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary. McCoy also qualified for the national meet, finishing in the top 20 and earning NCAA AND USTFCCCA honorable mention All-America honors.
“I thank all the national champions, C-USA Champions, All-Conference USA performers and league point scorers that I had a privilege to work with over the years, they bought in and together we elevated the level of the program,” Stephen said. “My hope is that we have laid a good framework for future success.”
Stephen also said he believes McGillis will work hard to find the very best possible person to lead the programs in the future.
A national search has begun to find Stephen’s replacement. His resignation will be effective June 30.