ATLANTA – Kirk Shellhouse on Thursday announced his decision to step down from his role as Oglethorpe cross country/track & field head coach. Assistant coach Neil Young, who is in his fourth season with Oglethorpe, has been named interim head coach.

Shellhouse has accepted the role as head cross country and assistant track & field coach at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.

"I want to thank the Oglethorpe community for having me in such a wonderful role over the past seven and a half years," said Shellhouse. "It was a pleasure to work with wonderful people. From our administrators, faculty, coaches and the student-athletes, it was a great experience. I am saddened to leave our Georgia home but excited for new opportunities and challenges in Ohio."

Shellhouse led Oglethorpe to immense success over the last eight cross country seasons and seven track & field seasons. He most recently led his men's side to its fourth runner-up in the last five seasons at the Southern Athletic Association Cross Country Championship.

In total, Shellhouse's cross country/track & field program garnered 89 All-SAA performers, 15 SAA Champions, eight SAA newcomers of the year, one SAA field athlete of the year, 18 all-region performers, five NCAA Division III National Championship qualifiers and seven USTFCCCA All-Academic honorees.

Shellhouse, who arrived at Oglethorpe in 2015, had Oglethorpe's cross country/track & field program achieving unprecedented success in the first few years of his tenure. In spring 2018, Shellhouse coached five SAA event titles at the SAA Track & Field Championships, including the SAA men's field athlete of the year and newcomer of the year. 

That same year, Shellhouse coached two Stormy Petrels to appearances at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. 

Shellhouse led his men's cross country team to runner-up at the SAA Cross Country Championship in fall 2018, and to an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Division III South/Southeast Regional. The Stormy Petrels also qualified an individual for the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships for the first time since 1994.

A search for a permanent head coach is underway.