KENT, Ohio — Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Bill Lawson announced on Monday afternoon that he will retire from Kent State following the end of the 2021-22 season. Lawson will continue to lead the Golden Flashes at upcoming NCAA competitions.
The five-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year has helped raise Kent State's national profile with his teams posting five top-30 finishes at the NCAA Championships during his 17 years guiding the program. In 2014, Matthias Tayala ended the Flashes' 40-year individual national title drought with a victory in the men's hammer throw. Danniel Thomas-Dodd made history just three years later as Kent State's first female national champion while setting a NCAA Outdoor Championships meet record for the shot put.
"Kent State is an incredible place and has meant so much to me and my family for the past 17 years," Lawson said. "For my wife, Jodie, and I to be afforded the privilege of watching both our children compete for Kent State Athletics was simply amazing. It has been a pleasure to work with so many talented and wonderful people over the years. Thank you to President Diacon for the great vision for Kent State University and Randale Richmond for breathing new life into the athletics department. I'd also like to thank Laing Kennedy for giving me the opportunity to be part of such a great university experience all those years ago. Thank you to all administrators, assistant coaches, and most of all, the student-athletes throughout the years. All are champions in my book. I will forever cherish my time and memories as a Golden Flash."
In addition to two individual NCAA champions, Lawson's athletes have earned five national runner-up finishes. The Flashes have totaled 72 All-America accolades under Lawson's leadership, including 27 first team honorees.
Since being hired as the 11th head coach in Flashes history on Sept. 8, 2005, Lawson has led the program to 13 Mid-American Conference championships, beginning with a men's indoor title in 2009 and ending with a men's outdoor title just over a week ago.
"Congratulations to Coach Lawson on 17 tremendous seasons at Kent State," Director of Athletics Randale L. Richmond said. "His tireless efforts helped Kent State track and field become a consistent force on the conference, national and international stages. We're so thankful to have had his imprint on our program and our student-athletes. His impact has truly been transformational. We wish him nothing but the best in his next chapter."
Several athletes Lawson coached found success internationally following their time in Kent, including four Olympians. In 2016, Thomas-Dodd (shot put) became the first active Kent State student-athlete to compete at the Olympics since Thomas Jefferson (men's 200m) won bronze in 1984. Thomas-Dodd was joined by former Flashes Samory Fraga (men's long jump), Reggie Jagers III (men's discus throw) and Nicole Yeargin (women's 400m, 4x400m relay) at the 2020 Tokyo Games last summer.
Ten of Lawson's conference titles were won by women's track and field, as he quickly turned the program into one of best in the region. Kent State claimed nine of a possible 10 MAC championships from 2010-14 that included five consecutive outdoor titles, the longest streak since the conference expanded to 12 teams in 1999. His 2013 squad set MAC Indoor Championships meet records for points scored (175) and widest winning margin (81) that still stand.
The Flashes have also excelled in the classroom, totaling nine CoSIDA Academic All-America honors and consistently earning USTFCCCA All-Academic Team status during his tenure. Lawson's teams have received 14 NCAA Public Recognition Awards for scoring in the top 10% of their respective sports in that season's multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR).
Lawson arrived at Kent State following a six-year run as recruiting coordinator and assistant coach at Oregon, where he coached student-athletes to national titles in the javelin throw and decathlon. Prior to his time in Eugene, he spent 15 seasons as the associate head coach at his alma mater, Northern Iowa. The four-time All-American in the decathlon and 12-time NCAA qualifier was inducted to the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.
Both of Lawson's children were student-athletes at Kent State. His daughter, Abbie, was a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Scholar All-American and four-year starter for the Flashes' soccer team from 2013-16. His son, TJ, was a five-time USTFCCCA All-American in the multis and two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American during his six years as a member of the track and field program.
A national search for Lawson's successor will begin immediately.
Be sure to follow the Golden Flashes on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the team.
Coach Lawson by the Numbers
• 17 seasons at Kent State
• 3 NCAA top-25 team finishes
• 13 MAC championships (6 women's outdoor T&F, 4 women's indoor T&F, 1 men's XC, 1 men's indoor T&F, 1 men's outdoor T&F)
• 5 USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year awards
• 12 MAC Coach of the Year awards
• 2 individual NCAA Champions
• 1 The Bowerman Award semifinalist
• 72 All-Americans
• 195 individual MAC Champions
• 44 current school recordholders
