TCU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jeremiah Donati has announced the hiring of TCU legend Khadevis Robinson as the Horned Frogs' new Director of Track and Field.Robinson was Ohio State's assistant track and field coach and head cross country coach the last five seasons. A Fort Worth native and 2009 inductee into the TCU Athletics Hall of Fame, Robinson is one of the Horned Frogs' more decorated student-athletes and a two-time Olympian. He closed his TCU career by winning the 1998 NCAA Outdoor Championship in the 800 meters and anchoring the 4x400 meter relay team to a national runner-up finish.
"We are very excited and proud to bring Khadevis home," Donati said. "He is a phenomenal fit on so many fronts for our track and field program and campus. From his time as an active athlete to now as a coach, Khadevis is well respected and known in the sport. He has a trust factor with all the athletes he's trained. He is also a relationship builder who will develop a positive culture in our program, make an immediate impact in recruiting and engage our alumni and local community."Robinson had two coaching stints at Ohio State. He led the cross country program to a postseason appearance and national rankings while mentoring multiple student-athletes to All-Big Ten and all-region honors. In 2019, Robinson coached Julia Rizk to an NCAA Championship in the mile run. Robinson also coached Nick Miller and school record holder Frank Hayes to Big Ten Championships in the 800 and 600 meters, respectively.Ohio State won either a men's or women's Big Ten Championship every year Robinson was on campus, including the 2022 men's and women's outdoor programs which set conference scoring records.In addition to his time in Columbus, Robinson served as head cross country and assistant track and field coach at LSU (2013-18) and UNLV (2011-12). Robinson has also made a coaching impact beyond the collegiate ranks. He helped foster the careers of some of USA Track & Field's rising stars while coaching the likes of 2012 U.S. Olympian Duane Solomon.
"I have always wanted to come back home to TCU," Robinson said. "This opportunity is a blessing, and I'm looking forward to continuing to develop the program on both the men's and women's side and ensuring a positive student-athlete experience. DFW is a great area to recruit and build a team and family."
Robinson coached two SEC champions at LSU, helped runners earn three All-America honors and set four school records. The women's distance medley relay earned back-to-back berths at the NCAA Indoor Championships for the first time in program history. Ruby Stauber was fifth in the 800m at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships, making her the highest finishing freshman in the event. She was named the SEC Co-Freshman Runner of the Year. Also under Robinson, Dajour Braxton was the 2015 SEC Freshman of the Year in cross country, becoming the first Tiger in program history to receive that honor.
During his season at UNLV, Robinson mentored Kelsey Williams to indoor and outdoor Mountain West Championships in the women's 800 meters.
Following his TCU days, Robinson enjoyed a distinguished professional career as one of the world's premier 800-meter runners. He represented the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and then again in 2012 in London. He earned a spot on Team USA at the IAAF World Championships on seven occasions while setting a lifetime personal best of 1:43.68 in his specialty event.
Robinson is a four-time U.S. Indoor Champion (1999, 2005, 2006, 2007) and Outdoor Champion (1999, 2006, 2008, 2009). He is also a six-time silver medalist in the 800 meters at the USA Outdoor Championships, including a pair of runner-up finishes at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in 2004 and 2012.
Robinson won the 1999 USA Indoor Championships and was a finalist at the World Indoor and Outdoor Championships. In 2002, he ran the fourth-fastest time in the world in the 800 meters in Finland with a personal-best 1:44:41. He helped shatter the American and world record in the 4x800 meters at the 2006 Memorial Van Damme with a 7:02.82. He concluded that year ranked No. 1 in the United States and No. 7 in the world in the 800 meters.
A 1998 TCU graduate with a degree in social work, Robinson earned his master's degree in public administration from Cal State Los Angeles in 2004.
While in Southern California, he co-founded the non-profit Youth Track and Running Club. He was selected as a 2008 Ken Doherty Memorial Fellowship recipient, presented annually by USA Track & Field to provide researchers with the time and resources to pursue the serious study of track and field. He collaborated with fellow recipient Anne Merrem on a project titled, "Performance Enhancing Drugs and the Clean Athlete." He has also served as president of the Track and Field Athletes Association.In 2019, Robinson was selected as a USA State Department Sports Envoy Ambassador, where he visited Zimbabwe and worked with the embassy on gender-based violence initiatives.
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