SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Former NCAA champion and record-holder Kyra Jefferson will join the Sacramento State Track & Field coaching staff, it was announced today by Director of Track & Field Kenny McDaniel. Jefferson will coach the team's sprinters and hurdlers.

Jefferson has a decorated collegiate and professional career which has seen her compete at the highest levels. She was four-time NCAA and six-time SEC champion while competing at Florida. She was the NCAA indoor champion in the 200 in 2015 and added an outdoor title in the event in 2017. That year, she ran 22.02 in the finals to break the NCAA record in the event which had stood for 28 years.

She began her professional career that summer and competed through the 2023 season. Jefferson was second in the 200 and was part of the gold-medal winning 4x100 relay at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. She also finished second in the 200 at the 2017 Herculis meet in Monaco and was fifth at Weltklasse Zurich in 2017.

Jefferson began her coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Florida during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. With the Gators, she oversaw daily training sessions and athlete warm-ups. She also utilized video analysis or sprinters and hurdlers, identifying areas of improvement. Jefferson most recently coached at the P.K. Yonge Development Research School in Gainsville, Fla., from 2019-21. In that role, she designed training sessions for hurdlers and sprinters, oversaw physical conditioning and managed the team's budget.

"I am very excited to welcome Coach Kyra Jefferson to our staff," McDaniel said. "Kyra brings a wealth of knowledge and experience at the highest level in the sport of track & field. Our sprinters and hurdlers are able to say they are coached by the fourth fastest 200m sprinter in NCAA history with a PB of 22.03 (1.1 )wind. I was extremely impressed with Kyra's vision she displayed for our student-athletes during the interview process. She will be a valuable asset for all of our student-athletes who are part of our program.  Anytime you can hire someone who has trained with Sha'Carri Richardson and Grant Holloway who are both 2023 world champions that speaks volume on Kyra's overall experience.  

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

"Kyra is a passionate young coach who is dedicated to her craft. She is dedicated to helping the athletes she works with get better on a daily basis and she also brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from her days as a high level athlete at the collegiate and international levels."

Mike Holloway
Florida Head Coach, 2023 Men's NCAA Champions, and 12-time USTFCCA Coach of the year.
 
 
"Knowing that my former teammate and good friend is taking on the sprint and hurdle position at Sac State is great news. She has experience in this sport as a former NCAA 200m record-holder and a professional athlete. I'm excited for Kyra's journey as a coach. She will do great things for the Hornet program."
 
Bridgette Owens
Illinois Assistant Sprints & Hurdle Coach, University of Florida record holder in the 100m hurdles with a PR of 12.71
 
 
"From being a collegiate record holder to representing team USA on the world stage, Kyra has the experience to coach these young athletes and make them better human beings outside of track."

Grant Holloway
Three-time 110m Hurdler World Champion, PR 12.81