BRYAN WILKINS • HEAD COACH
Bryan Wilkins enters his twentieth season on the coaching staff at Vanguard University, all on a part-time basis. The longest tenured coach on the VU staff, Wilkins is also responsible for coaching the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams. Due in part to his long-standing commitment to VU athletics, Wilkins was chosen to enter Vanguard’s Athletic Hall of Fame last fall. He became the second coach recognized in this manner as he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in November of 2007.
Wilkins is a committed, hard-working coach who is completely dedicated to all four teams (men’s and women’s Track and Field, and men’s and women’s Cross Country) he coaches at Vanguard University. Traditionally limited in team scoring due to lack of depth, VU’s track and field teams have primarily been a story of outstanding individual success. In the past six years, Wilkins’ track and field programs have fielded 55 All-GSAC and 29 NAIA All-American athletes, with 66 individuals competing at NAIA National meets. Promoting the balance of education and Athletics, Wilkins has also had 16 Track and Field NAIA Scholar-Athletes in the last five seasons. Wilkins’ teams have traditionally been the strongest in distance and relay events with much success during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.
His programs’ success has been consistent throughout his career at VU, which began in 1988. During the 1996 Track and Field season, the Lions sent seven athletes to the NAIA National Track Meet including high jump National Champion and All American, Kevin Carlson; All American Larry Holland, third in the Marathon; and All American, Nikee Pool, who finished second in the 1000 meters at the NAIA Indoor National Championships. Names like Isis Orejel, Monica Landa, and Sarah Hall produced all-american honors since the mid-1990s, but 2005 turned out one of the most successful track and field seasons in VU history. Senior transfer Brandon Shaw led four Lions to Indoor All-American honors in the men’s Distance Medley Relay before placing third in the men’s 800 meter run as well. It was the second year in a row VU’s men’s DMR claimed national honors by finishing in the top six. Junior Jenny Thune legged out a fourth-place run for All-American status in the women’s 1500m at Outdoor Nationals, while Shaw fell just short of the Outdoor National Championship in the 800m, with a second place finish. Grace Jepngetich was Wilkins’ most recent contender for an individual national championship. Jepngetich finished second in the 5,000m and 10,000m events at the 2007 NAIA Outdoor Championships, nearly missing a double national championship.
Bryan graduated from Evangel University in 1983 with a degree in Business. He was an All-State high school track athlete in Nebraska, and competed in Cross Country at Evangel. He still actively competes in road races and trains 40-50 miles per week.
"I absolutely love coaching collegiate athletes in a Christian environment," says Wilkins. "I love VU and the awesome people I have the privilege of working with."
Bryan is the Business Manager for Rock Harbor Church in Newport Beach while performing coaching duties at Vanguard University. Wilkins is single and lives in Irvine.
|