Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics renames Drive of Champions after Wes Kittley
May 07, 2026 | General, Track and Field
Wes Kittley has produced over 200 Big 12 individual champions over 27 seasons
LUBBOCK, Texas – Wes Kittley, the longest tenured Texas Tech head coach in school history, will now have Drive of Champions officially renamed in his honor, Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt announced Thursday.
The start of the 2025-26 year marked Kittley's 27th season at the helm of the track and field program. The Wes Kittley Drive of Champions was formally announced Thursday morning during a regularly-called meeting of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents.
"Texas Tech is proud to honor coach Wes Kittley, a leader, who in nearly three decades, has built one of the nation's premier track and field programs," Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt said. "Naming this street Wes Kittley Drive of Champions recognizes not only his historic achievements, but the culture of belief, discipline and integrity, he's instilled in generations of Red Raiders."
Kittley began his tenure at Texas Tech in 1999 following a highly-successful stretch at Abilene Christian where he led the Wildcats to 29 national titles. Since then, he's become one of two coaches in Tech history to bring a home national title, with a resume that includes 16 Big 12 team titles, 37 NCAA individual champions and 227 Big 12 individual champions. On the biggest stage of them all for track and field, the Olympic Games, 24 Olympians have come out of his program, including a record 11 Red Raiders at the most recent 2024 Games in Paris. In the fall of 2024, Kittley was inducted into the Texas Tech Athletics Hall of Honor.
"I say something to my kids all the time – be humble and hungry," Kittley said. "I am truly honored by this. The greatest 27 years of my life have been here at Texas Tech, and it's just been an incredible run for me, even though I'm not quite done yet. I did not see this coming, but I've always heard a few people kidding about it. I'm just so blessed to be here and every year I have said this but, it's the greatest time to be at Texas Tech. I always want to have an opportunity to change a young person's life, and Tech has given me that opportunity for so many years. Thank you again for putting up with me for all this time and giving me the opportunity to raise my kids in Lubbock – the greatest place in the world to live."
Texas Tech is coming off another impressive indoor season which saw the men and women sweep the conference indoor titles for a second-straight season, while adding two more national champions – Temitope Adeshina (high jump) and Jonathan Seremes (triple jump). The Red Raiders will travel to Tucson, Ariz., next week in hopes of winning both Big 12 outdoor titles for a consecutive season.
