Pittsburg State Gorillas

In lightning-quick time, Kyle Rutledge has etched himself as one of the most decorated coaches in NCAA Division II cross country/track & field history.

Since becoming the head coach of the Pittsburg State University cross country and track & field programs on June 7, 2021, Rutledge has led the Gorillas to nine NCAA Division II National Championships and 21 MIAA crowns program-wide. In January 2025, his title was updated to Director of Cross Country/Track & Field.
 
The Pitt State men placed third overall at the 2022 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships, before claiming nationals titles during the 2022 outdoor season, 2023 indoor season, 2023 outdoor campaign, 2024 indoor season, 2024 outdoor season, 2025 indoor season and 2025 outdoor season – an amazing string of seven consecutive national championships entering the 2026 indoor campaign.

The Pitt State women enjoyed four top 10 national finishes between the 2022 and 2023 seasons:  fifth place, tie (2022 indoor), ninth place (2022 outdoor), eighth place, tie (2023 indoor), seventh place (2023 outdoor). The Gorillas finished as the national runner-up at the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships and Pitt State captured the program’s second-ever national title at the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships. The Gorillas followed that up by claiming the 2025 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championship and posting a third-place national finish during the 2025 outdoor seasons

The Gorillas have captured 15 of 16 MIAA titles during the past four years with the Pitt State men sweeping indoor and outdoor crowns all four years and the Pitt State women taking seven of eight titles (2022 indoor/outdoor, 2023 indoor, 2024 indoor/outdoor, 2025 indoor/outdoor).

In cross country, the Pitt State men captured the 2021 MIAA Championship and 2023 MIAA Championship, while the Pitt State women are the four-time defending MIAA champions (2022-2025 MIAA Championships). The Gorillas men have made five straight trips to the NCAA Division II National Championships, highlighted by a program-best seventh place national finish at the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships. The Pitt State women have made four consecutive trips, earning top 20 national finishes each time (13^th in 2025).
 
Rutledge has been named the NCAA Division II Men’s Track & Field Coach of the Year seven times in the last four years:  2022 Outdoor, 2023 Indoor & 2023 Outdoor, 2024 Indoor & 2024 Outdoor, 2025 Indoor & Outdoor. Additionally, he garnered 2024 NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year as well as 2025 NCAA Division II Women's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year accolades.
 
The Pitt State coaching staff has been honored as the MIAA Coaching Staff of the Year 19 times in the last four-plus years between men’s and women’s cross country (2021-25) and men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field (2022-25).
In August, the Pittsburg State University men's and women's track & field teams were jointly honored as the 2025 Team of the Year by the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation. Additionally, Rutledge helped train and coach former Gorilla Cordell Tinch this past summer. Rutledge accompanied Tinch to Tokyo where he captured the 2025 World Championship in the 110-meter hurdles. Tinch, who also won the Diamond League Final in Zurich prior to the World Championships, finished the year ranked No. 1 in the World in the discipline.

Rutledge entered his fifth year as head coach in 2025-26 and his 14^th year as a member of the Pitt State track & field coaching staff. He served nine years as a full-time assistant, including four years as Associate Head Coach, under former head coach Russ Jewett.
 
As an assistant coach, Rutledge helped guide the Pitt State women to the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championship – the first team title in school history – as well as five straight MIAA Outdoor Championships from 2015-2019 and five straight MIAA Indoor Championships from 2016-2020.
 
Rutledge garnered NCAA Division II Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year honors four times:  2015 Indoor, Women; 2016 Outdoor, Women; 2017 Indoor, Women; and, 2018 Indoor, Men.
 
Rutledge also helped lead the Pitt State men to the 2018 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championship – the first team title in school history – as well as five MIAA Indoor Championships (2014-2015, 2017-2018, 2021) and five MIAA Outdoor Championships (2013-2015, 2018, 2021) between 2013 and 2021.

Prior to coming to Pitt State, Rutledge served as an assistant coach at Missouri S&T for three years. He coached 12 NCAA Division II All-Americans and had athletes achieve GLVC Indoor Athlete of the Year, Indoor Freshman of the Year, GLVC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year and NCAA Division II Regional Athlete of the Year honors. Additionally, his athletes broke 23 school records.

Rutledge spent one season at Johnson County Community College before going to Rolla, Mo. He coached three NJCAA All-Americans while at JCCC.
 
Rutledge also spent two seasons coaching at his alma mater, Missouri Southern. While there, he coached the pole vault, high jump, sprints and multi events. In two seasons, his athlete compiled 10 NCAA Division II All-America performances, including three NCAA Division II National Runner-up efforts and multiple MIAA individual event titles.

During Rutledge's time as a student-athlete for the MSSU track & field team, he qualified for both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Division II National Championships in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 in the pole vault. He earned All-America honors in 2003, 2005 and 2006, placing second at the 2006 NCAA-II Indoor Championship and third at the 2005 NCAA-II Outdoor Championship.

Rutledge has his USATF Level I Coaches Certification, USTFCCCA Multi-Event Specialist Certification and USTFCCCA Jumps Specialist Certification.

Rutledge is married to the former Natalie Noe. The couple has three children:  Emery, 14, and twins, Cash and Quinn, 12.