Matt Kaczor promoted to track and field associate head coach

Central Michigan director of track and field Willie Randolph has promoted Matt Kaczor from assistant coach to associate head coach.

Kaczor has spent the last five seasons coaching distance and mid-distance runners for the Chippewas track and field team, as well as the cross-country program.

While at CMU, Kaczor has coached seven individual Mid-American Conference champions, 27 All-MAC performers, five outdoor regional and preliminary qualifiers, two NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifiers as well as 2008 All-American 800m runner Abraham Mach.

“There are two ways someone gets promoted, either someone retires or if someone has earned that position,” Randolph said. “Coach Kaczor has earned it. He’s been here a long time, being a student-athlete here, so he’s done a lot for the program. It was a no brainer, it was something that you don’t wait for someone to tell you to think about. When you have someone talented on this staff, you can’t wait for other offers to surface that would take them away from home.”

After graduating from CMU with a degree in secondary education and history in 2005, Kaczor started his coaching career at Oakland University, serving as an assistant coach for their cross-country and track and field teams. While there, he went on to coach two all-conference athletes in the 3000m steeplechase.

He is a United States Track and Field Level I certified coach.

Kaczor has the sprit of Chippewas track ingrained in him and boasts impressive resume as a former athlete.

He competed in both track and cross-country from 2001-04. He was part of three MAC cross-country championship teams in 2002, 2003 and 2004, and a member of the 2003 outdoor track team that won the first MAC title at CMU. In addition, he served as captain of the cross-country squad in 2004.

“His history here brings a deeper sense of commitment, of dedication to the tradition,” Randolph said. “That’s something that you can’t really feed to someone as opposed to having someone who has that in as an automatic thing ingrained in them.”

Kaczor ran during a period of success in the Chippewas track program, and his championship experience is something Randolph values. He will continue to coach the mid-distance and distance runners, and Randolph is looking forward to see him lead the young CMU team.

“There are some things I’m going to be teaching and helping him with to have a bit more responsibility on his side and a little less on my side so we can have some more balance and allow him to grow as an individual coach,” Randolph said.