PLAINVIEW, Texas – Wayland Baptist University Athletics is proud to announce that longtime track and field and cross country coach
Brian Whitlock will be inducted into the
Wayland Baptist University Athletics Hall of Honor as a member of the
2026 Hall of Honor Class, recognizing a coaching career that helped establish the Pioneers as one of the premier NAIA programs in the nation.
Whitlock dedicated nearly two decades to Wayland Baptist University, serving in multiple coaching roles while building a tradition of excellence in both cross country and track and field. His leadership produced national championships, conference titles, All-Americans and numerous individual award winners, leaving a lasting impact on one of the University's most successful athletic programs.
Whitlock joined Wayland in 2004 after a successful collegiate career at Oklahoma Baptist University, where he was a Sooner Athletic Conference cross country champion and an NAIA All-American. He was hired as the head coach of the Pioneer cross country programs and as an assistant coach for track and field, inheriting a cross country program that quickly rose to national prominence under his leadership.
In just his first season, Whitlock guided the Pioneer men's cross country team to a runner-up finish in the Sooner Athletic Conference and was named both the
Sooner Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year and
Region VI Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year. The men's team qualified for the NAIA National Championships in 2005, 2006 and again from 2010 through 2012, finishing as high as
second in the final NAIA national rankings in 2010 and
fifth in 2011.
During his tenure, Whitlock coached six NAIA Cross Country All-Americans, including
Kennedy Kithuka, who captured back-to-back
NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championships in 2010 and 2011. Five of Whitlock's runners also claimed individual Sooner Athletic Conference championships, further cementing Wayland's place among the nation's elite distance-running programs.
Whitlock enjoyed similar success with the women's cross country program, which earned its first national ranking in more than a decade in 2006 before qualifying for the NAIA National Championships in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011. The 2007 team captured both the
Sooner Athletic Conference Championship and the
NAIA Region VI Championship, while consecutive sixth-place national finishes in 2007 and 2008 highlighted the program's emergence on the national stage. Whitlock was named the
2006 Sooner Athletic Conference Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year, and his athletes earned NAIA All-American and NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition throughout his tenure.
Whitlock was elevated to head coach of the Wayland track and field program in 2007, beginning one of the most successful coaching stretches in school history. From 2007 to 2011, the Pioneers became a national powerhouse, winning
five NAIA national championships. The women's teams captured both the
NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Championships in
2008 and 2009, while the men's team claimed the
2010 NAIA Outdoor National Championship.
For his remarkable success, Whitlock was honored as
NAIA National Coach of the Year on three occasions, in recognition of his ability to consistently develop championship-caliber student-athletes and teams.
Following a brief hiatus from leading the track and field program, Whitlock resumed his head coaching duties in the summer of 2015 and remained at the helm through 2022, continuing to mentor student-athletes while upholding the championship standards that had become synonymous with Wayland track & field.
Throughout his career at Wayland, Whitlock's teams earned national recognition not only for their success in competition but also for developing student-athletes who excelled both on and off the track. His commitment to excellence, servant leadership and the holistic development of his athletes helped shape generations of Pioneers while elevating Wayland Baptist University into one of the NAIA's most respected track and field and cross country programs.
Brian Whitlock's extraordinary accomplishments, championship legacy and lasting influence on Wayland Athletics make him a deserving member of the
2026 Wayland Baptist University Athletics Hall of Honor.
The 2026 Hall of Honor class will be formally inducted during a ceremony this fall as Wayland Baptist University celebrates the accomplishments and enduring legacy of its newest Hall of Honor members.
Class of 2026 Hall of Honor Induction Ceremony
The 2026 WBU Athletics Hall of Honor ceremony will be held on the morning of October 24 on the campus of Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas.
