Sacramento State

Kenny McDaniel was hired as the Sacramento State Director of Track & Field/Cross Country on Oct. 1, 2018. One of the top sprints and hurdles coaches in the country, McDaniel’s career has taken him from the states of Texas to Kansas, California and Arizona.

At Sacramento State

2025 Season

• Both the women and men finished in the top five at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships which were held at Hornet Stadium.
• Miles Grant became the first Sacramento State student-athlete to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the high jump where he earned honorable mention All-America honors.
• Grant also repeated as the Big Sky champion in the high jump during the indoor and outdoor seasons.
• Sacramento State advanced three women and two men to the NCAA West First Round.
• Along with Grant, Ava Fitzgerald won the 100-hurdles and Tamia Ramos the triple jump at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships.
• The team earned 13 all-Big Sky honors during the outdoor season.
• At the Big Sky Indoor Championships, Zoe Ewell and Fitzgerald joined Grant as event champions.
• Ewell combined with Jessi Barry to finish 1-2 in the women's 60-meter dash.
• Sacramento State finished the meet with nine top-three finishes to earn all-Big Sky.
• The Hornet women set three school records during the indoor season: Ewell (60), Tristian Campbell (400), Fitzgerald (60H).
• The women had four outdoor school records: Fitzgerald (100H), Oliver (STPL), 4x100 and 4x400.
• Brandon Moreno set th school record in the indoor mile and the outdoor 1500.

2024 Season

• The Sacramento State women finished fifth at the Big Sky indoor and Outdoor Championships.
• The teams continued their dominance over UC Davis by sweeping the Causeway Classic Dual.
• Miles Grant was the Big Sky indoor and outdoor champion in the high jump.
• Jessi Barry (60), Alexia Croffet (triple jump) and Tamia Ramos (long jump) were named all-Big Sky during the indoor season.
• Grant (high jump), John Gibbs (triple jump) and Breija Stredic (400-hurdles) qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary.
• Grant and Gibbs were named all-Big Sky during the outdoor season.

• The women’s team placed fourth at the Big Sky Indoor Championships and were fifth at the outdoor meet.
• The Hornets swept the team titles against UC Davis in the Causeway Classic Dual.
• Eliana Coburn became the first woman in school history to win the pentathlon at the Big Sky Indoor Championships.
• Jayla Flowers finished in first place in the women’s triple jump.
• The pair led four women who earned all-Big Sky honors indoors.
• Miles Mitchell was named all-conference for the men during the indoor season.
• The 4x100 and 4x400 relays as well as five individuals earned all-Big Sky honors during the outdoor season.
• Ava Fitzgerald (110H), Alyssa Brewer (800) and Blaize Holland (men’s 100) advanced to the NCAA West Preliminary at Hornet Stadium.
• The women had five individual all-conference selections as well as the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
• Miles Grant (HJ) and John Maka (DIS) earned all-Big Sky honors outdoors.

• The Hornet women finished third at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships.
• The women’s and men’s teams each had easy victories over UC Davis in the Causeway Classic Dual.
• Evan Stork made his second career appearance at the NCAA West Preliminary in the hammer. He was joined at the meet by Cagnei Duncan (5K) and Shantel Nnaji (hammer).
• Stork also defended his Big Sky title in the hammer.
• Two women were named all-Big Sky during the indoor season, including LaTroucka Duke in the 60 and 200.
• Five women earned individual all-conference accolades as well as the 4x100 relay team during the outdoor season.
• Shantel Nnaji led the team list of all-conference honors, placing among the top three in the shot put, discus and hammer. Nnaji was one of five individual event honorees on top of the 4x100 relay team.
• Jabari Reynonds (200) and Stork represented the men on the all-conference team.

2021 Season

• Did not compete during the indoor season due to COVID-19.
• Hornet women had five student-athletes recognized as all-conference, including freshman LaTrouchka Duke who was second in the 100 and 200. The men were led by Evan Stork who finished first in the hammer with a school-record performance.

2020 Season

• Guided the women to a second place finish at the Big Sky Indoor Championships in Pocatello, Idaho. The team had eight all-conference honorees and the men had one.
• The team had three individual event winners comprised of Mikayla Revera (400), Brittany Patterson (TJ) and Morgan Jones (WT). The women's 4x400 relay also took the top spot.
• The outdoor season was canceled due to COVID-19.

2019 Season

• Was named the Big Sky Conference Indoor and Outdoor Women's Coach of the Year.
• The Hornet women won the 2019 Big Sky Indoor Championship. The team accounted for seven all-conference accolades, including Brittany Patterson who finished first in the triple jump.
• The team also captured the outdoor title and had 11 all-Big Sky honorees. Shilah Bedingfield was first in the 200 and 400, Brittany Patterson won the triple jump, Jelaia Jones finished first in the shot put and Shantel Nnaji had the top mark in the discus. The 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams were also the best in the conference.
• Bedingfield advanced to the NCAA Championships in the 200 where she was an honorable mention All-American. She placed eighth at the NCAA West Preliminary at Hornet Stadium behind a school-record time of 22.95.

Prior to Sacramento State

Ottawa University (2018)

• In his one year with the Spirit, McDaniel advanced five student-athletes to the NCCAA national championships, including Raiven Ellis who claimed the title in the women’s triple jump.

Northern Arizona (2011-17)

• Coached student-athletes to 15 first-place finishes at the conference indoor and outdoor championships, including seven in 2017.
• Some of his notable accomplishments include guiding James Fisher to six consecutive Big Sky titles in the 200 as well as wins from the men’s indoor 4x400, women’s indoor and outdoor 4x400 and men’s 4x100 teams.
• Along with winning the Big Sky crown, the men’s 4x100 team advanced to the NCAA Championships after running 40.00 at the NCAA West Preliminary. The performance marked just the second time in Big Sky history a 4x100 team moved on to the NCAA Championships.

Arizona State (2006-11)

• Coached the women’s sprints, hurdles and relays.
• Mentored 12 women to a combined 43 All-America honors, including Jacquelyn Johnson who won the pentathlon and heptathlon before competing at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
• Also coached Jasmine Chaney and Charonda Wiliams with the Sun Devils. Chaney earned a berth at the 2012 Olympic Trials in the 400-hurdles and later competed for Team USA at the IAAF World Championships.
• Williams set several school records and was a member of the US contingent at the IAFF World Championships in Berlin in the 100-hurdles.

Cal State Fullerton (2004-06)

• Was the men’s and women’s sprints, hurdles and relays coach for the Titans.
• His athletes set 14 school records and he coached three men, three women and one women’s relay team to Big West titles.

San Francisco State (2000-04)

• Coached student-athletes to three school records and 10 all-CCAA awards. He also had two Gator sprinters qualify for the NCAA Div. II Championships.

Pittsburgh State (1999)

Began at his alma mater Pittsburgh State as a student assistant in 1999.

ATHLETE IMPROVEMENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS UNDER McDANIEL

2016 Men's 4x100m Relay Team

• First men's 4x1 relay team in NAU history to compete at nationals - Time of 39.99
• Only the second men's 4x1 team in Big Sky history to compete at nationals

2017 Women's 4x400m Relay Team

• Broke the previous school record, one that stood for 17 years 
• Set the new record at the Jim Click Shootout (3:39.52)

Jasmine Malone – NAU

• 200m – 25.20 to 23.52    Big Sky Champ
• 400mm - 56.30 to 52.29; 2018 NCAA Indoor National Qualifier

Nicole Fotinos – NAU

• 200m – 25.92 to 24.07
• 400m – 57.00 to 53.04
• 100m – 12.31 to 11.99

Vernon Jamison – NAU

• 110mH – 14.25 to 13.85  Big Sky Champ
• 200m – 22.21 to 21.31
• 60mH – 8.01 to 7.80
• 60m – 7.13 to 6.82

Isaiah Kennedy – NAU

• 60m – 6.76 to 6.65   Big Sky Champ
• 100m –10.55  to 10.30
• 200m – 21.55 to 21.13/20.87w

Tyren Wolfe – NAU

• 60m –   6.93 to 6.83   
• 200m – 21.50 to 20.93
• 400m-  48.75  to 46.81 

Kossi Tchenawoe – NAU

• 100m – 10.60 to 10.40
• 200m – 21.35 to 21.02  Big Sky Champ

James Fisher – NAU

• 100m – 10.89 to 10.33
• 200m – 21.80 to 20.82  Big Sky Champ

Shamelle Pless – NAU

• 60m – 7.70 to 7.44
• 100m – 12.20 to 11.73
• 200m – 24.80 to 23.86   Big Sky Champ
• 400m – 57.88 to 55.90

ShaKeia Pinnick -- ASU

• 100mH -- 13.87 to 13.34
• 400iH -- 58.30 to 57.34

Charonda Williams – ASU

• 100m – 11.61 to 11.14
• 200m – 23.62 to 22.39    IAAF World Champ Team

Jasmine Chaney – ASU

• 100mH -- 13.74 to 13.26
• 200m -- 24.70 to 23.16
• 400m -- 56.00  to 52.23
• 400m iH -- 57.77 to 55.22 (career-best)  IAAF World Champ Team

Dominique Maloy – ASU

• 100m – 11.90 to 11.39
• 200m – 24.98 to 23.28
• 400m – 54.85 to 52.69

PERSONAL

• A native of Longview, Texas, McDaniel graduated from Pittsburgh State in 1999 with a degree in general studies with an emphasis in kinesiology and nutrition.
• He earned all-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association honors in the 55-hurdles (indoor) as well as the 110- and 400-hurdles (outdoor).
• McDaniel earned his USATF Level II Sprints and Hurdles certification in the summer of 2006.
• Kenny and his wife, Realyn, have a son (Keero) and daughter (Kara).

WHAT OTHER’S ARE SAYING…

Curtis Taylor, Associate Head Coach, University of Oregon
“I’ve known Kenny since the 1990s when he was at San Francisco State and he’s done a great job wherever he’s been. He’s a great technician and an even better person. I’m 100 percent positive that he will do a great job at Sacramento State.”

Eric Heins, Former Director of Track & Field/Cross Country, Northern Arizona University
“Sacramento State is getting an amazing coach and person in Kenny. He’s very high energy and pushes not only the student-athletes but everyone around him to get better.”

Ronnye Harrison, Assistant Coach (Sprints, Hurdles, Relays), University of Oklahoma
“I see the hiring of Kenny McDaniel as an incredible opportunity for the Sacramento State track and field program. Coach McDaniel has always been a seed sower of integrity and character. Couple that with his high standards of discipline and extremely knowledgeable compassion and you have the flagship model of leadership. He’s an exceptional hire for Sac State and the Big Sky Conference.”

Michael J. Ford, Associated Men's Head Coach, Baylor University
"I have known Kenny since he was coaching at Arizona State. He is an awesome hire for Sacramento State and their track and field program. He is will bring expertise to the track program, he is a good coach, but a better man. Great hire!"