SALEM, Va. --- Roanoke College Director of Athletics Scott Allison announced Thursday Kirk Nauman has been hired as the Maroons' new Head Men's & Women's Cross Country and Track & Field Coach.
Nauman comes to Salem after nine years as the Head Track & Field Coach at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn. During his time at St. Scholastica, Nauman had 10 NCAA Division III All-Americans, 34 NCAA qualifiers and nine all-region selections.
Nauman guided the Saints to eight consecutive Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Women's Outdoor Championships (2008-15) and five UMAC Men's Outdoor Championships (2011-15). His men's and women's teams have each won seven consecutive UMAC Indoor Championships. In total, the Saints captured 29 team league titles and 456 individual UMAC championships under Nauman's guidance.
Nauman was named UMAC Coach of the Year a combined 22 times during his tenure, while his teams excelled in the classroom, earning USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors in each of the last eight years. Eighteen different individuals also earned All-Academic Team accolades from the USTFCCCA.
"Kirk's NCAA Division III roots are deep. His teams win championships and he embraces his role as an ambassador for the program he runs and the sports he coaches," said Allison. "With Kirk's appointment, and the onset of our state-of-the-art 200 meter indoor track inside our new Cregger Center, the excitement surrounding Roanoke College Track and Field and Cross Country has never been higher. We are pleased to welcome Kirk, Jamie and their six month old son Jasper to our community."
This past season Nauman mentored Saint student-athletes to a total of six NCAA qualifying performances including Kevin Wagner who finished as the NCAA National Runner-Up in the heptathlon at the indoor meet and followed that up with a third-place national finish at the outdoor championships in May.
In addition, Jeremy Peterson was named the Men's Central Region Field Athlete of the Year for the outdoor season by the USTFCCCA. Peterson was the first Saint in program history to earn that honor. Peterson had the fourth-best hammer throw mark in NCAA Division III with a program record toss of 194'6" (59.28m) at the UMAC Championships. That throw was also the best mark in the Central Region.
Nauman coached his first 400m runner to the NCAA Championships in 2015 as Brianna Buske qualified for both the indoor and outdoor championships. Wagner became the first decathlete to earn All-American accolades, placing fourth at the outdoor championships.
Between the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2014, Nauman had four women earn All-America honors. During the indoor season, all three women competing came home with All-American accolades. Becky Huberty placed a program-best third in the hammer throw for her second consecutive outdoor All-American honor.
"I would like to thank Director of Athletics Scott Allison, Vice President Aaron Fetrow, President Maxey, the search committee and campus community for the warm and sincere welcome we received while we were visiting campus," said Nauman."I look forward on building on the legacy that Dr. Finn Pincus has created in his 25 years at Roanoke. I am very excited to start a new era of Roanoke Cross Country and Track & Field in the new Cregger Center."
Prior to arriving at CSS, Nauman was the head coach at Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minn. During his four years at Saint Mary's, he coached 20 NCAA qualifiers and six All-Americans. Saint Mary's student-athletes captured 13 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships and a total of 61 athletes earned all-conference honors. A total of 72 school records were set under Nauman who was named the 2006 MIAC Women's Indoor Coach of the Year.
Rob Friendt was named the MIAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year in 2005 and Ashely Luehmann earned Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year in 2006. In the classroom, St. Mary's teams earned USTFCCCA All Academic Honors four times to go along with 20 individual honors. In 2005, the cross country team posted the highest GPA in NCAA Division III.
Nauman graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior with a degree in sports administration in 1999 and earned his master's degree in physical education: sports administration from Minnesota State in 2007.
--- This release is courtesy of the Roanoke College department of athletic communications. ---
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