Pittsburg State Gorillas

In short order, Kyle Rutledge has cemented himself as one of the most decorated coaches among the NCAA Division II cross country/track & field ranks.

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 eight NCAA Division II National Championships and 17 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 seasons and 2025 indoor season – a string of six consecutive national championships entering the 2025 outdoor 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 in March.

The Gorillas have captured 11 of 12 MIAA titles during the past three years with the Pitt State men sweeping indoor and outdoor crowns all three years and the Pitt State women taking five of six titles (2022 indoor/outdoor, 2023 indoor, 2024 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 two-time defending MIAA champions (2022 MIAA Championship, 2023 MIAA Championship). The Gorillas men have made three straight trips to the NCAA Division II National Championships, highlighted by a program-best 11^th place national finish at the 2023 NCAA Division II National Championships. The Pitt State women have made back-to-back trips to the National Championships and earned consecutive top 20 national finishes.
 
Rutledge has been named the NCAA Division II Men’s Track & Field Coach of the Year six times in the last four years:  2022 Outdoor, 2023 Indoor & 2023 Outdoor, 2024 Indoor & 2024 Outdoor, 2025 Indoor. 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 15 times in the last four years between men’s and women’s cross country and men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field.

Rutledge entered his fourth year as head coach in 2024-25 and his 13th 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.
 
In 12 years with the Gorillas, Rutledge has coached 71 First-Team All-America performances, 11 national champions and 14 national runners-up, as well as a score of All-MIAA performances and 24 school records. All of those athletes have combined to make over 60 entries on Pitt State’s all-time top 10 performance lists.

Program wide the Gorillas have secured 164 First-Team All-America performances during the past three years under Rutledge's direction, including an eye-popping 78 First-Team All-Americas in 2024.
 
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, 12, and twins, Cash and Quinn, 10.