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Men's Cross Country

VSU Athletics Welcomes Head Men's and Women's Track and Field/Cross Country Coach Frank Hyland to Trojan Nation

ETTRICK, VA  - Head Coach Frank Hyland begins first season as Head Coach of the Virginia State University Men's and Women's cross country and track and field teams after 17 years of service at Benedict College.

A native of Trinidad & Tobago, Hyland earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Barber-Scotia College in Concord, NC and Master of Science in Sport Management.

As head coach for cross country and track and field for the Benedict Tigers, he developed the program from the ground up by recruiting the right men and women and by setting policies and procedures, as well as the programming that will define the character of the elite student-athlete. 

His motto is: "You've got to do what you have to do, to do what you want to do! And there should be no excuses, just results."

Coach Hyland has coached 24 conference championship teams in the NAIA as the former coach of Voorhees College, Denmark, SC during his 9-year run, and he is the first coach in the SIAC to defeat Morehouse College in the Men's Cross-Country Championships and to also produced three individual champions at the NCAA South Regional Championships in 2007 with Emmanuel Kirwa, Dessie Demlew in 2014 and Matthew Chesum in 2019. 

He has coached, 11 Men's Individual SIAC Cross Country champions, nine Women's Individual SIAC Cross Country Champions and 144 individual champions in Men's and Women's Track and Field.

He has also produced 12 Women's and 10 Men's NCAA Division II All-Americans since 2005. He coached the Schools very first NCAA Male and Female USTFCCCA National Cross Country All-Americans this year in Mathew Chesum and Stellah Kiptui in 2019. He also coached the schools very first NCAA Division II NATIONAL CHAMPION in the school's history Shemar Miller. He won the Men's Triple Jump at the 2021 NCAA National Championships Coach Frank Hyland was presented with the Key to the City of Columbia, SC from Mayor Rickenmann in 2022. 

Hyland is an active member of the prestigious Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and a active member USTFCCCA, and served as a volunteer counselor with the BC Summer Sports Fun Camp. He is a certified Coach by the USATF Level 1 and Level 2 Programs in the areas of Sprints/Hurdles/ Relays and also has his Strength and Conditioning certification.

He is married to Wendy Hyland, and they have three children, Daven Jones, Olivia Hyland and Frank "CJ" Hyland Jr.


CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Named the:
2012 NCAA South Region Women's Indoor "Coach of the Year"
2012 NCAA South Region Outdoor "Coach of the Year" 
2013 NCAA South Region Women's Indoor "Coach of the Year"
2014 NCAA South Region Women's Indoor "Coach of the Year"
2014 NCAA South Region Women's Outdoor "Coach of the Year"
2015 NCAA South Region Men's Indoor "Coach of the Year"
2022 NCAA South Region Women's Outdoor "Coach of the year"

 
2008 SIAC Men's Cross Country" Coach of the Year"
2015 SIAC Men's Cross Country" Coach of the Year"
2019 SIAC Men's Cross Country" Coach of the Year"
2021 SIAC Men's Cross Country " Coach of the Year"

 
2016 SIAC Men's Track & Field " Coach of the Year"
2019 SIAC Men's Track & Field " Coach of the Year"
2022 SIAC Men's Track & Field " Coach of the Year"

 
2013 SIAC Women's Cross Country" Coach of the Year"
2014 SIAC Women's Cross Country" Coach of the Year"
2022 SIAC Women's Cross Country " Coach of the Year"

 
2013 SIAC Women's Track & Field " Coach of the Year"
2015 SIAC Women's Track & Field " Coach of the Year"
2017 SIAC Women's Track & Field " Coach of the Year"
2018 SIAC Women's Track & Field " Coach of the Year"
2019 SIAC Women's Track & Field " Coach of the Year"
2022 SIAC Women's Track & Field "Coach of the Year"



Other Significant Accomplishments
• Over 27 years of experience as a Head Coach and in sports administration
• Significant experience in Violence Prevention Training as Prevention Specialist



Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Championships Titles:

Women
Cross Country                                                Outdoor Track & Field
- 2013 (First SIAC Championship)                 2013 (First SIAC Championship)
- 2014                                                               - 2015
- 2022                                                               - 2017
                                                                         - 2018
                                                                         - 2019
                                                                         - 2022

 
Men
Cross Country                                 Outdoor Track & Field
- 2008 (1st SIAC Championship)         - 2016 (1st SIAC Championship)
- 2015                                                     - 2019
- 2019                                                     - 2022
- 2021     
                                   
 
 
NAIA Accomplishments
• Coached 16 NAIA All-Americans
   1. EIAC Regular Season Championship in Volleyball, Barber Scotia College, 1993
   2. EIAC Championship in Men's Cross Country, Voorhees College,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004
   3. EIAC Championship in Women's Cross Country, Voorhees College, 1997, 1998,2000,2004
  4. EIAC Championship in Men's Track Voorhees College 1997, 1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004
  5. EIAC Championship in Women's Track, Voorhees College, 1998,1999
  6. SIAC Championship in Men's Cross Country, Benedict College, 2008
• EIAC Coach of the Year Honors, Cross Country 1996-2004
• NAIA Southeast Region Coach of the Year, Track & Field 1999, 2000, 2001
• NAIA Region 14 Coach of the Year , Track & Field 2003
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