Norfolk State University Director of Track and Field Kenneth Giles was named Wednesday as one of the MEAC’s 50 Legends of Coaching.
As the MEAC concludes the celebration of its 50th anniversary during the 2020-21 academic year, the conference office held an online vote to determine the greatest 50 coaches in league history across all sports. To be considered on the ballot, coaches must have served as a head coach in the MEAC for a period of at least four years, must have won at least one MEAC championship and must have had a winning record.
Nearly 1,900 total votes were cast, with fans, media representatives, institution sports information contacts and others taking part.
Giles has been one of the standard bearers for running sports within the MEAC. Since taking over as NSU men’s cross-country coach in 1999, Giles has led the Spartan men to a conference-record 13 MEAC titles, and has also led the NSU women to one since taking over the reigns of both programs. Giles, who assumed the role of men’s track and field coach in 2003, led NSU to a record seven straight yearly sweeps of the MEAC indoor and outdoor titles from 2006-12, and a record eight straight men’s indoor titles from 2006-13.
Giles has been named MEAC Most Outstanding Coach 29 times. His athletes have captured 23 Division I All-America honors, more than 100 MEAC individual track gold medals, three all-region cross-country honors and made the first-ever appearance for a MEAC runner at the NCAA Cross Country Championship (David Kemboi in 2006).
The 2021-22 school year will be Giles’ 23rd with the Spartan athletics program.