Godfrey Tabbed to Lead ASU Cross Country & Distance Teams
TEMPE - Ryun Godfrey has been tabbed to lead Arizona State's Cross Country and distance programs, Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Dion Miller announced today. Godfrey brings over 20 years-worth of coaching experience to Tempe, and has led runners to 30 conference titles between North Dakota State and Kansas State. He's twice been named USTFCCCA Regional Coach of the Year too.
"I would like to thank Ray Anderson, Marcus Williams and of course Coach Miller for this fantastic opportunity," Godfrey said. "I am very much looking forward to joining the Sun Devil Family and excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work!"
"I'm very excited to have Ryun join our staff," Miller said. "Ryun is a veteran coach that comes with an impressive resume. We're grateful to have him lead our cross country program. O2V!"
Godfrey replaces Patrick Henner who accepted a position with Georgia following the 2022 track and field season.
Ryun Godfrey Key Points
- Kansas State XC & distance coach, 2014-22
- North Dakota State head T&F and XC coach, 2004-14
- 2x USTFCCCA Division II North Central Region Coach of the Year
- 2x Division I Independent COTY
- 2014 Indoor & Outdoor USTFCCCA Midwest COTY
- 17-time Summit League COTY
- 8x North Central Conference COTY
- Six USA Olympic Trial Qualifiers, two finalists
- 12 Division I All-Americans
- 31 Division II All-Americans
- 39 Academic All-Americans
- Coached a Division I runner-up (800m), two Division II champions (800m, 400H), and two 4x400 Division II champions
- 11 North Conference Champions
- 11 Summit League Champions
- 24 school records at NDSU, six at KState
- 32 conference championship titles
Godfrey spent the last eight years coaching the Wildcats of Kansas State. During the 2021-22 seasons, Godfrey coached four male runners and three female runners to top-30 finishes at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships. He led Kassidy Johnson to program records in both the indoor (2:03.93) and outdoor (2:02.94) 800m, and he saw her take fifth overall at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Johnson also earned bronze in the 1500m at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships before finishing 14th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Cooper Schroeder set an indoor 5K program record (13:55.58) under Godfrey, and Hadley Splechter set the KState record in the indoor 3000m (8:05.51). With Godfrey's assistance, the women's 4x800 also ran a record 8:31.22.
Prior to KState, Godfrey headed the women's track and field & cross country team at North Dakota State for 15 years. He swept the 2014 USTFCCCA's Indoor and Outdoor Midwest Coach of the Year awards and led the Bison to a total of 30 conference titles, including four cross country titles, 13 indoor track and field titles and 13 outdoor track and field titles.
Godfrey is a 1996 graduate of NDSU where he ran for four years before holding a one-year graduate assistant position. He earned All-North Central Conference honors and was a member of seven NDSU league champion squads. He has a bachelor's in physical education; has USATF Level II certification in three different areas (endurance; sprints hurdles & relays; jumps); and is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.