Jackie Kirby enters her third year as Wingate University’s head coach for men’s and women’s track and field in 2025-26. She joined the WU cross country and track and field coaching staff as director of operations in June of 2022. She was promoted to her current position during the summer of 2023. She serves as an assistant coach for cross country.
Kirby’s first three seasons with the cross country and track and field programs saw Wingate sweep six-of-six South Atlantic Conference titles each year. The Bulldogs won the SAC men’s and women’s XC crowns in the fall of 2022, 2023 and 2024. Wingate claimed first place in the SAC men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field championship meets in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
On the national level, Wingate has won one relay and five individual national championships at either the NCAA Division II indoor or outdoor meet. Hamza Chahid had a hand in the first three, starting with Wingate’s victory in the men’s Distance Medley Relay (DMR) at the ’23 NCAA indoor meet. The next day, Chahid earned his second gold in the men’s 3000 meters. Chahid completed his triple crown with a triumph in the men’s indoor 5000 meters in 2024.
Titouan Le Grix picked up the torch, winning two outdoor national championships and one indoor national title. He sandwiched two outdoor 3000-meter steeplechase victories in 2024 and 2025 around a triumph in the 2025 men’s indoor mile. Le Grix and his teammates helped Wingate finish fourth in the ’25 NCAA outdoor championship meet in Colorado, the Bulldogs first podium finish in track and field.
Jackie Kirby coaching biographical sketch
Wingate University
- Joined WUXCTF staff in June of 2022 as director of operations
- Promoted to Wingate track and field head coach in the summer of 2023
- Southeast Region men’s Coach of the Year three times
- SER indoor men’s COTY in ’25, outdoor men’s COTY in ’25, ’24
- South Atlantic Conference indoor Coach of the Year two times
- SAC men’s indoor COTY in ’25, women’s indoor COTY in ’24
University of Mount Olive
- Started Mount Olive XC head coaching tenure with Conference Carolinas men’s Coach of the Year award in 2019
- Six-time USTFCCCA SER track and field Assistant Coach of the Year while at UMO
- 47 times Conference Carolinas league champions (both XC and T&F)
- 15 times Southeast Region champions (both XC and T&F)
- 57 NCAA Division II All-Americans (both XC and T&F)
- 14 NCAA Division II XC national championship appearances with a 15th place men’s showing in 2019
- 14 NCAA Division II indoor track and field national championship appearances
- 18 NCAA Division II outdoor track and field national championship appearances
- Impacted every area of the UMO XCTF programs, including team operations, training and recruiting
- Coordinated volunteer service outreach for the Trojans
- Served four years as Mount Olive’s athletic department photographer for all sports.
- Worked seven years as the program’s graphic designer and social media coordinator
Jackie Kirby USTFCCCA regional and national involvement
- Served on USTFCCCA national and regional poll committees (2016-present)
- Served on USTFCCCA NCAA Division II cross country executive committee as Conference Carolinas representative (2018-22)
Jackie Kirby education and athletic honors
- Earned Bachelor of Arts degree in visual art, photography and graphic design from Keystone (Pa.) College in 2009
- Inducted into Keystone College's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019
- Received the Keystonian awarded to the school's most outstanding athlete three times (2007, 2008 and 2009)
- Served on Keystone Student-Athlete Advisory Committee three years
- Served as team captain for both cross country and track and field for two seasons each under the tutelage of then-KC head coach Matt van Lierop
What They Are Saying about Jackie Kirby
Wingate director of cross country and track and field Matt van Lierop
“I’ve had the honor to watch Coach Kirby grow as a student-athlete, a coach and a person over the last two decades. She’s been with me from the beginning, part of my first-ever Keystone College recruiting class, when my coaching career began in 2004. Her development as a runner, following the ever-changing structure of the ‘medieval’ training program I was creating, helped me start what is now considered the ‘Wingate Way.’”
“After her graduation, she accepted an assistant position with me at my next stop, Mount Olive. It’s there that we continued to tweak the program and where we recruited and met Pol Domenech in the fall of 2013. Kirby continued to impress and was elevated to associate head coach, and eventually became head coach of cross country, leading the UMO men to a top-15 finish at NCAAs in 2019.”
“When a new position opened at Wingate, it was time to have her rejoin what Coach Pol Domenech and I were building here with the Bulldogs. She’s the final piece to the puzzle, adding her unlimited skill set in so many areas, including photography and graphic design. Upon her arrival, she immediately leveled our social media presence and recruiting materials way up, helping WUXCTF explode onto the scene, right as we began to hit our stride.”
“Having Coach Kirby on this staff, while winning our ’23 NCAA men’s XC title, after this two-decade long journey, was just as good as it gets. In my opinion, she’s finally home, in this team family culture that’s so exciting to be around. Adjusting her position title to head coach for track and field and assistant coach for cross country was a no-brainer. She will continue to help Pol, and the rest of the WUXCTF coaching staff, elevate this program to the next level.”
Wingate XCTF alumnus Luis Hernandez Perez
“Coach Kirby has had a large impact on my life as an athlete, but also as a person in general. After my first couple of semesters were not going as planned, she kept believing in me and motivating me to better myself. This patience has really helped me become a better athlete. If it wasn’t for her, I might not have even continued in college.”
Hernandez Perez stayed the course, leading Wingate to its third consecutive South Atlantic Conference men’s cross country league championship in October 2023. Hernandez Perez finished second with his personal-best 8K time of 23:03.57.
“Over the last year, my results were improving drastically, but her attitude did not change. She kept motivating me and always tried to get me in the best position possible to perform well.”
“These attributes will be beneficial for everybody. I am certain that she will be successful and I am looking forward to the future track and cross country seasons and seeing everybody work hard towards their goals.”
Texas A&M University-Kingsville T&F/XC head coach Ryan Dall
“Jackie has always been an excellent coach and ambassador for the sport. Not only has she been successful on the track and in cross country, she is also a caring and compassionate person who always does her best to put her athletes’ needs first. Wingate is very lucky to have her and I’m sure she will continue to build on that program’s success.”
