T-Birds Tab Terry VanLaningham as Next Men's T&F Head Coach
New Mexico Junior College is proud to announce the hire of Terry VanLaningham as the next men's track and field head coach for the T-Birds. VanLaningham arrives in Hobbs, NM after spending the past five seasons as an associate head coach at NCAA DIII LeTourneau University.
"New Mexico Junior College is very fortunate to have Terry as a member of our track staff," NMJC Director of Athletics Deron Clark said. "The men under his leadership will benefit in all aspects as student-athletes. The experience and winning tradition that Terry delivers to our program will provide a direction to continue on the path of success as we build our community presence here in Hobbs while maintaining the global presence of NMJC track and field."
Terry VanLaningham will be entering his 27th year coaching collegiately when he starts Year 1 at Ross Black Track.
"I am grateful to God for the blessing of serving as a collegiate track and field coach," VanLaningham said. "I want to thank President Dr. Derek Moore and NMJC Director of Athletics Deron Clark for entrusting me with the care of the Men's Track & Field program. The Thunderbirds have quickly become one of the best programs in the country and I intend to keep us competing for NJCAA championships. I was a junior college product, began my coaching career at a junior college and I look forward to serving the student-athlete at NMJC and representing the Hobbs community in a first-class manner at the highest level."
VanLaningham comes to NMJC following five years as an associate head coach at LeTourneau University. The program was only in existence for two years when he arrived and does not have an on-campus facility. Despite the challenges the teams thrived during his time there. The program's accolades totaled; First ASC Championship in the history of the program, three All-Americans, 50 All-Region, 125 Program Records, and 64 Conference Athletes of the Week.
VanLaningham brings a strong history of coaching highly successful athletes to NMJC. At Southern Illinois, he coached Kyle Landon to runner-up finishes at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships and 2016 Olympic Trials in the high jump with jumps of 2.26m.
While at Wichita State, he coached Randy Lewis who finished runner up in the long jump at the 2002 NCAA championship with a personal best of 7.97m. Lewis competed in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games in the triple jump. His triple jump personal best of 17.49m is the Grenadian national record.
In 2002, Ineta Radevica was an NCAA Silver medalist and earned four NCAA All-American accolades and set school records in the triple and long jump at Wichita State. Radevica competed for the Latvian national team in the long jump and triple jump at the 2004 Olympics. She finished runner-up in the long jump at the 2011 World Championships and fourth in the long jump at the 2012 Olympics. Radevica is the Latvian national record holder in the long jump at 6.92m.
Prior to LeTourneau, VanLaningham coached at Southern Illinois University. His three seasons there were fruitful. In all, his athletes enjoyed great success, as the list of accolades they earned included: one USA Olympic Trials and NCAA DI runner-up finishes, four NCAA All-American honors, 12 NCAA finalist and first round qualifiers, 10 conference champions, 28 MVC All-Conference honorees, 12 SIU Top-10 all-time marks, one MVC Meet Record, seven MVC Outstanding Field Athletes, two MVC Scholar Athletes of the Week, two USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors, and one CoSIDA Academic All-American.
Prior to SIU, VanLaningham coached 11 seasons at Sacramento State. The Hornets saw a wealth of success with VanLaningham leading the jumps, pole vault, and multi-event athletes. '
During his tenure with the Hornets, VanLaningham coached three NCAA All-Americans, two USATF Junior All-Americans, claimed 47 championships, qualified 45 times to the NCAA championship meets, earned 116 all-Big Sky accolades, set 33 school records, recorded 164 all-time top 10 marks, and awarded Big Sky conference MVP seven times.
The Hornets won a combined 17 Big Sky team championships and finished second eight times with VanLaningham on the coaching staff. Prior to joining the staff, the men's and women's team had never finished better than fourth place as a team.
Before his time at Sacramento State, VanLaningham spent four seasons with the Wichita State track and field program. With the Shockers, he coached seven All-Americans, two NCAA runner-up's, 12 NCAA Regional qualifiers, 27 Missouri Valley Conference champions, 57 MVC All-Conference performers, nine school record holders, 70 all-time top 10 marks, two MVC all-time records, six MVC Championship Meet records, and seven MVC Most Outstanding Field Athletes.
VanLaningham is no stranger to the junior college coaching scene as he spent four years in the JUCO coaching ranks. He served as the head coach of the track and field programs at Allen County Community College, Dodge City Community College, and Coffeyville Community College.
The Coffeyville Community College program flourished with VanLaningham at the helm, as the women's team set 33 new school records while finishing ninth and 11th at the NJCAA national championship meets his final two seasons. The men's team was just as good, setting 22 school marks, finished in the top 10 at both regional and national championship meets and had 18 athletes named All-Americans.
The Dodge City, Kansas native earned his undergraduate and master's degree from Kansas State. As an undergraduate at KSU, he competed on the track and field team, placing fourth in the decathlon at the Big 8 Championship in 1988 and 1989. While earning his master's degree in exercise physiology/sport psychology, he served as a graduate assistant for the K-State track and field program, writing and developing a psychological skills performance enhancement program. In high school, he was awarded the Kansas Fellowship of Christian Athletes Male High School Athlete of the Year his senior year.
In 2022, he was a lead clinician for an Athletes in Action National Coaches Clinic in Cameroon, Africa and has spoken at several state coaches' association clinics and the USTFCCCA national convention. He assisted in the formation of the FCA Huddle at Sacramento State University.
VanLaningham is a certified Strength and Conditioning Coach through the USTFCCCA, and a USATF Level 2 Certified Coach. He has Chaired a Marketing Sub-Committee for the USTFCCCA Executive Committee and served on the Local Organizing Committee of the Sacramento Sports Commission and as Technical Director of the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track & Field Championships and USATF Outdoor National Championships.
What they are saying:
"What an outstanding hire by New Mexico Junior College, naming Terry VanLaningham the men's track & field head coach. I have had the privilege of knowing and competing against Terry since our days coaching against each other in the Missouri Valley Conference. His athletes were fierce competitors, exceling at the highest levels of the MVC and NCAA. It has not been surprising to me to see his career grow beyond those early years at Wichita State and Southern Illinois. His record for developing athletes speaks for itself. However, what strikes me as most impressive, a winning trait, are the team successes he has contributed to. An example of this are his teams at Sacramento State, winning 17 team titles and another eight runner-ups in the very competitive Big Sky conference, so impressive. I have no doubt his teams at NMJC will bring that same intensity, chasing more championships now that Terry is at the helm."
Chris Bucknam - Arkansas Men's Track & Field and Cross Country Head Coach / formerly Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at Northern Iowa University
"New Mexico Junior College has made a wonderful hire. Terry VanLaningham is a passionate and driven coach that has a history of developing fine athletes and building outstanding programs. I have known Terry since the late 1980's where I worked with him while he trained and competed as a decathlete at K-State. I have watched over the years as he has contributed so much not only to his university programs but to the sport in general. He has a vast amount of experience in all areas of running a program. I know he will work very hard to build a successful program team and more importantly to contribute to the growth of the young people in his program."
Cliff Rovelto – Kansas State Director of Track & Field Cross Country
Terry VanLaningham
By the Numbers
2 Olympians
1 Olympic Trials Runner-Up
17 NCAA All-Americans
18 NJCAA All-Americans
76 NCAA Final and Preliminary qualifiers
97 Conference Champions
220 All-Conference
418 All-Time Top Ten Marks
24 Conference MVP's