Walt Drenth Retires As Michigan State’s Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
11/30/2020 4:03:00 PM | Track and Field
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State's Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Walt Drenth announced his retirement on November 30. With more than 30 years of collegiate coaching experience, Drenth arrived at Michigan State in 2004 as the head men's cross country coach, and in 2006 he was appointed as the director of the men's and women's cross country and track & field programs.
Associate head coach Lisa Senakiewich will serve as Interim Director of Track & Field and Cross Country for the 2020-21 cross country and track & field seasons. Michigan State will conduct a national search for a head coach following the season.
Coach Drenth Career Highlights
• 2014 USTFCCCA Women's National Coach of the Year
• Five-time Great Lakes Coach of the Year (2006, 2007, 2010, 2014 Women's XC, 2017 XC)
• Six-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 Women's XC, 2015 Outdoor T&F, 2019 Women's XC)
• 180 All-Americans (Cross Country, Track & Field)
• 81 Academic All-Americans (Cross Country, Track & Field)
• 729 Academic All-Big Ten honorees (Cross Country, Track & Field)
• 169 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honorees
"Today I am officially stepping away from my position as Director of Track & Field and Cross Country. Any success I have realized has been because of the people I was surrounded by. No one succeeds in a vacuum, consequently there are innumerable people to thank and I shudder to think of missing anyone." Drenth said. "First I would like to thank the Track & Field and Cross Country staff I have had the honor to work beside. It was a joy to come to the office every day and see you. I would also like to thank the student-athletes I have had the opportunity to coach, travel and compete with during my career here and at other universities. I'd like to thank Alan Haller, who has been a tremendous sounding board as my direct supervisor. I would like to thank Malinda (Hudkins) and Dave (Pruder) in the equipment room, Kara Fisher for mentoring our annual media relations interns and traveling the country during the late season for our championship meets, the academic advisors for T&F/CC Ashley (Cruder) and Amelia (Marsh), and the event management team – Rick (Atkinson), Seth (Kesler), Kasey (Carter) and Sarah (Brushaber), and the sports medicine team headed by Dr. Sally Nogle and Dr. Jeff Kovan. I would also like to thank the other coaches in the athletic department as well as a number of senior administrators – including Jim Pignataro and Jennifer Smith. Your friendships and support are and were invaluable to me as a person and coach.
"My philosophy throughout my coaching tenure has been to help student-athletes become the best version of themselves as people, students, and athletes at my full capacity," Drenth added. "From the beginning, I knew when I was unable to meet that ideal I would have to walk away rather than compromise that standard I was taught and believe in. I can say without any reservation that I have gone to work every day throughout my coaching career with those goals in mind.
"Finally I would like to thank my wife Cara and children Emma and Gerrit. They have supported me in a profession that had me away from home an enormous amount of time. I would never have had the opportunity to coach without their support."
Drenth has earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors six times, including 2019 B1G Cross Country Coach of the Year. In 2014, he was name USTFCCCA Women's National Coach of the Year.
"Although we were saddened to learn that Coach Drenth is retiring, today is an opportunity to celebrate all he has accomplished in collegiate athletics, and specifically all the success he has brought to Spartan cross country and track and field," Michigan State Athletic Director Bill Beekman said. "The accolades are too numerous to mention all of them, but it's obvious to see the impact he's had elevating the Michigan State program, including winning a women's cross country NCAA Championship in 2014. More importantly, he's made a lasting impression in the individual lives of the student-athletes, who have experienced great success athletically, capturing individual championships and All-American honors, and academically, with more than 700 Academic All-Big Ten and 81 Academic All-America accolades. He will certainly be missed by his Spartan family, but we all wish Walt, his wife Cara, and the entire Drenth family happiness in their next stage of life."
One of the highlights of Drenth's MSU tenure was the 2014-15 season that saw the Spartans capture two Big Ten titles and a National Championship. The women's cross team won the 2014 B1G title, which set the stage for another historic performance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, where the Spartans placed four individuals in the top-21 and recorded 85 points to capture the first national championship in women's program history. During the indoor track & field campaign, Leah O'Conner led the way for MSU, winning the women's mile with an NCAA record 4:27.18. The championship was the second individual title of O'Connor's career as she also won the women's 3,000m steeplechase at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene. In East Lansing, the women's team continued their dominance capturing the Big Ten Outdoor title as well.
Drenth's illustrious career at Michigan State concluded with winning his fifth Big Ten Cross Country title in 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the indoor track & field season was canceled at the NCAA Championships, while the outdoor season never began.
Upon his arrival in East Lansing in 2004, Drenth made an immediate impact at Michigan State, leading the men's cross country team to its first NCAA Championship bid in three years during that season. MSU finished seventh at the Great Lakes Regional in 2004 and 2005, and took fourth place at the 2006 meet en route to an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. The Spartan women's cross country team also advanced to the NCAA Championships after winning the Great Lakes Regional race.
Before arriving at Michigan State, Drenth was responsible for the drastic turnaround of the cross country programs during his tenure at Arizona State from 1996-2004. Prior to his arrival, ASU's women had never made a team appearance at the NCAA Championships, never earned a national ranking, and never had produced an All-American. The Sun Devil women had not finished higher than sixth at the West Regional since 1986 and had only three finishes better than seventh at the Pac-10 meet.
Associate head coach Lisa Senakiewich will serve as Interim Director of Track & Field and Cross Country for the 2020-21 cross country and track & field seasons. Michigan State will conduct a national search for a head coach following the season.
Coach Drenth Career Highlights
• 2014 USTFCCCA Women's National Coach of the Year
• Five-time Great Lakes Coach of the Year (2006, 2007, 2010, 2014 Women's XC, 2017 XC)
• Six-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 Women's XC, 2015 Outdoor T&F, 2019 Women's XC)
• 180 All-Americans (Cross Country, Track & Field)
• 81 Academic All-Americans (Cross Country, Track & Field)
• 729 Academic All-Big Ten honorees (Cross Country, Track & Field)
• 169 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honorees
"Today I am officially stepping away from my position as Director of Track & Field and Cross Country. Any success I have realized has been because of the people I was surrounded by. No one succeeds in a vacuum, consequently there are innumerable people to thank and I shudder to think of missing anyone." Drenth said. "First I would like to thank the Track & Field and Cross Country staff I have had the honor to work beside. It was a joy to come to the office every day and see you. I would also like to thank the student-athletes I have had the opportunity to coach, travel and compete with during my career here and at other universities. I'd like to thank Alan Haller, who has been a tremendous sounding board as my direct supervisor. I would like to thank Malinda (Hudkins) and Dave (Pruder) in the equipment room, Kara Fisher for mentoring our annual media relations interns and traveling the country during the late season for our championship meets, the academic advisors for T&F/CC Ashley (Cruder) and Amelia (Marsh), and the event management team – Rick (Atkinson), Seth (Kesler), Kasey (Carter) and Sarah (Brushaber), and the sports medicine team headed by Dr. Sally Nogle and Dr. Jeff Kovan. I would also like to thank the other coaches in the athletic department as well as a number of senior administrators – including Jim Pignataro and Jennifer Smith. Your friendships and support are and were invaluable to me as a person and coach.
"My philosophy throughout my coaching tenure has been to help student-athletes become the best version of themselves as people, students, and athletes at my full capacity," Drenth added. "From the beginning, I knew when I was unable to meet that ideal I would have to walk away rather than compromise that standard I was taught and believe in. I can say without any reservation that I have gone to work every day throughout my coaching career with those goals in mind.
"Finally I would like to thank my wife Cara and children Emma and Gerrit. They have supported me in a profession that had me away from home an enormous amount of time. I would never have had the opportunity to coach without their support."
Drenth has earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors six times, including 2019 B1G Cross Country Coach of the Year. In 2014, he was name USTFCCCA Women's National Coach of the Year.
"Although we were saddened to learn that Coach Drenth is retiring, today is an opportunity to celebrate all he has accomplished in collegiate athletics, and specifically all the success he has brought to Spartan cross country and track and field," Michigan State Athletic Director Bill Beekman said. "The accolades are too numerous to mention all of them, but it's obvious to see the impact he's had elevating the Michigan State program, including winning a women's cross country NCAA Championship in 2014. More importantly, he's made a lasting impression in the individual lives of the student-athletes, who have experienced great success athletically, capturing individual championships and All-American honors, and academically, with more than 700 Academic All-Big Ten and 81 Academic All-America accolades. He will certainly be missed by his Spartan family, but we all wish Walt, his wife Cara, and the entire Drenth family happiness in their next stage of life."
One of the highlights of Drenth's MSU tenure was the 2014-15 season that saw the Spartans capture two Big Ten titles and a National Championship. The women's cross team won the 2014 B1G title, which set the stage for another historic performance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, where the Spartans placed four individuals in the top-21 and recorded 85 points to capture the first national championship in women's program history. During the indoor track & field campaign, Leah O'Conner led the way for MSU, winning the women's mile with an NCAA record 4:27.18. The championship was the second individual title of O'Connor's career as she also won the women's 3,000m steeplechase at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene. In East Lansing, the women's team continued their dominance capturing the Big Ten Outdoor title as well.
Drenth's illustrious career at Michigan State concluded with winning his fifth Big Ten Cross Country title in 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the indoor track & field season was canceled at the NCAA Championships, while the outdoor season never began.
Upon his arrival in East Lansing in 2004, Drenth made an immediate impact at Michigan State, leading the men's cross country team to its first NCAA Championship bid in three years during that season. MSU finished seventh at the Great Lakes Regional in 2004 and 2005, and took fourth place at the 2006 meet en route to an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. The Spartan women's cross country team also advanced to the NCAA Championships after winning the Great Lakes Regional race.
Before arriving at Michigan State, Drenth was responsible for the drastic turnaround of the cross country programs during his tenure at Arizona State from 1996-2004. Prior to his arrival, ASU's women had never made a team appearance at the NCAA Championships, never earned a national ranking, and never had produced an All-American. The Sun Devil women had not finished higher than sixth at the West Regional since 1986 and had only three finishes better than seventh at the Pac-10 meet.
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