Black History Month Q&A - Kenny McDaniel – NAU Track & Field
Black History Month Q&A
Kenny McDaniel – Northern Arizona Associate Head Coach for Track & Field
Now in his seventh year at Northern Arizona University, Associate Head Coach for Track & Field Kenny McDaniel has taken the Lumberjack sprints and hurdles program to the next level. Since his arrival, McDaniel has coached his student-athletes to 32 gold medal performances. A collegiate athlete himself, McDaniel began his running career early on as a kid in Texas with his mom as a track & field coach. He then took his talents to Pittsburg State in Kansas, where he became an all-conference honoree. With previous stops on his coaching journey at Cal State Fullerton, San Francisco State and Arizona State, McDaniel decided that Flagstaff would be the next place he called home. McDaniel has been training some of the best athletes from Arizona to California to Canada at 7,000 feet as he builds sprinters and hurdlers into champions.
How did you get into coaching?
“I had got into coaching because my mom was a track & field coach for 36 years at the high school level back in Texas. I always saw how she was able to impact kids from the sport of track & field from all backgrounds. From her platform, she was able to inspire kids and that inspired me. Ever since I was 12 years old, I knew I wanted to be a track & field coach.”
What’s been your greatest achievement as a coach?
“I’d say my greatest achievement has been my longevity in the sport. When I first got started, my goal was to be coaching for 5-8 years. I then realized that I had a lot of people looking up to me and I was able to impact lives. I realized I was providing hope for the athletes that I recruit, by giving them a chance to get an education and better their lives. This is my 19th year in the sport, so longevity is my greatest achievement as I still continue to coach.”
What made you decide to join the staff at Northern Arizona in 2011?
“I knew that NAU had one of the top three distance programs in the country. I figured that if I could join them and utilize my skills as a sprints and hurdles coach that we could be a powerhouse. NAU is a beautiful place, and I really think I ended up here for a reason. Now we have a balanced program and I’m fortunate enough to be a part of a team that people now recognize for its all-around achievements and I’m happy I can contribute to the sprints and hurdles success of it all.”
What’s the key to becoming a successful coach?
“With the generation now, I think the key is being consistent. I’ve started to realize that what today’s student-athletes remember the most about their college experience is how they were treated. Being successful is all about how you communicate with the student-athletes and relate to them. That’s really how you become successful as a coach. I’m really big on making sure a student-athlete has an awesome experience when they join my program.”
What kind of coach are student-athletes signing up for when they decide to compete for NAU?
“They’ve signed up for a coach that is always going to be energetic, innovative, who’s going to listen and build character. Student-athletes can run fast, but if you don’t have character that can really diminish what you do on the track. They’re going to definitely be in a positive environment and that’s key to running a successful program.”
The men’s 4x100-meter relay team in 2016 became only the second Big Sky squad to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championship. The quartet recorded the third fastest time in conference history in 2016 with 39.99 - one of three Big Sky relays ever to run under 40 seconds in the event. Take us back to that performance and how you felt as a coach?
“Well, those guys believed from the minute we started training in the fall that they could do it. They talked about going sub-40 at the beginning of the year. I really believe that they talked about it and rehearsed it in their mind. It became a reality at the NCAA Championships. It was a great moment for those guys and it was one of those moments they’ll be talking about with their kids and grandkids 25-30 years from now. As far as me as a coach, my main goal was to get a relay team or individual to the NCAA Championships in the sprints, so it was a pinnacle moment for me to see those guys be successful. They’re not only great athletes but great human beings. It was a very special moment for them to remember for the rest of their lives.”
Your sprinters seem to be on the rise. Your sprinting unit captured seven gold medals during the 2017 indoor and outdoor championships. What are you doing differently as a coach?
“One of the things I’ve done differently is create an environment of no pressure. I’ve eliminated a lot of technical stuff and allowed athletes to be who they are. Once you start to create things they’re not doing, it makes them run tight. I have a favorite saying, ‘A cluttered mind equals slow legs.’ What I’m trying to do is eliminate the clutter so they can go out and execute. It allows them to go out and set personal and school records. I want them to be lose and relaxed, where they can just be themselves.”
The NAU women are the two-time defending champions in the 4x100-meter relay and 4x400-meter outdoor relay. As a coach, how have you gotten your student-athletes to buy-in to your philosophy?
“I’ve been preaching the two C’s…Chemistry and Confidence. The chemistry on the women’s side is amazing. I really believe it is the best it’s been since I arrived here. They literally do everything together and they get along which is huge. They walk around with confidence, and once you have that everything else comes natural. Things start to come together with the chemistry, confidence, and also the environment.”
How do you want your student-athletes to remember you after they have graduated?
“I’d want my student-athletes to remember me as someone that they could come and talk to about anything. That I had open ears and that I didn’t judge. Also, that I had a huge impact on their lives outside of track.”
As one of the very few African-American coaches at Northern Arizona, and additionally one of the few coaching track & field in the Big Sky, do you feel a sense of responsibility to educate and mentor student-athletes?
“Yes, I do. I know they’re looking for someone that is positive. I feel that it’s my responsibility as an African-American, especially with my main sprinting group having a high number of African-Americans, to do my part in making sure they have an exceptional college experience and that they feel comfortable. It’s a huge responsibility because I feel as if I have a platform to impact not only the lives of African-American student-athletes in track & field, but those in other sports, as well. I want to be a consistent and positive role model for all and hope that my guidance or words of wisdom carry into their adult lives.”