NEW ORLEANS – Kansas Track and Field Associate Head Coach Tom Hays was named the USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year for his impact during the 2024 indoor season.
Hays, who has been at the helm of the men’s and women’s pole vault and high jump squads for 18 seasons now, coached two men to individual Big 12 titles during the indoor season. Juniors Clayton Simms (pole vault) and Devin Loudermilk (high jump) each won their first career conference championships before both qualifying for NCAA Indoor Championships and claiming First Team All-American accolades in Boston.
Another Hays pupil, sophomore Ashton Barkdull, made some noise at the Big 12 Indoor Championship as well, finishing fourth before qualifying for his first-career NCAA Indoor Championships.
Barkdull and Simms were joined on the Big 12 podium by teammates sophomore Anthony Meacham (third place) and senior Luke Knipe (sixth place).
Hays’ last time winning this award was in 2021, and prior to that, 2017, making this his third time being recognized by the USTFCCCA as Regional Assistant Coach of the Year. Hays has since signed the No. 1 men’s pole vault recruit in the country for the past three consecutive seasons (Simms, Meacham, Bryce Barkdull).
