Missouri S&T has announced that Kyle Rutledge, a three-time All-America performer in the pole vault at Missouri Southern State University and most recently an assistant coach at Johnson County Community College, will become the new assistant track and field coach for the S&T program.
Rutledge is taking over for Bryan Schiding, who has been in the post for the last six seasons and is stepping down to become Missouri Southern’s assistant track and field coach. Rutledge’s father, Tom, is the Lions’ head coach.
“We were sorry to see Bryan go, but we appreciate all that he has done for our programs,” said Mark Mullin, S&T’s director of athletics. “Kyle will be an excellent addition to our coaching staff. He brings with him a great deal of technical knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm. His areas of expertise are exactly what we were looking for. I am extremely excited to have Kyle and his wife Natalie joining our Missouri S&T family.”
“Kyle is one of the best young coaches and recruiters in the Midwest,” said Missouri S&T head coach Sterling Martin. “We’re glad to have a coach of his caliber joining our program. He is someone who can keep our pole vaulters at the level they have reached in the conference and nationally, while helping us maintain our commitment to developing a strong all-around track and field program.”
During the 2009 season, Rutledge worked with the sprinters, hurdlers, throwers and multi-event athletes; several of those individuals earned all-conference honors.
Prior to his year at Johnson County, Rutledge spent two seasons as the assistant coach at Missouri Southern where he was in charge of the jumpers, sprinters and multi-event athletes. In those two seasons at MSSU, he coached 18 individuals that earned berths to the NCAA Division II Championships (13 pole vaulters, four high jumpers and one multi-event competitor) and 11 of them earned NCAA Division II All-America honors. He also coached eight conference champions and 31 all-conference performers in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
Prior to his stint as a coach at MSSU, Rutledge was a standout student-athlete for the Lions’ track and field team who was the MIAA champion in the outdoor pole vault in 2004. He earned three All-America awards during his five trips to the NCAA Division II Championships, which included a national runner-up finish at the 2006 indoor meet and third place showing outdoors in 2005. He also placed sixth at the 2003 NCAA indoor championship meet.
In addition to his conference title in 2004, Rutledge also earned six all-conference awards in the pole vault during his career at MSSU, where he ranks among the top 10 all-time performers in the pole vault. He earned all-state honors during his prep career at Joplin High School, where he set the Joplin High record in the event.