Kiehl Smith has been named Albion's head men's/women's cross country/assistant track & field coach. His first official day is scheduled for August 1. Lance Coleman will remain as director of both programs.

A 2020 graduate of Albion, Smith ran cross country and track for the Britons from 2016-20. In cross country, he was a two-time All-MIAA (first team in 2017, second team in 2019) and USTFCCCA All-Region honoree. In track, Smith notched USTFCCCA All-Region honors in 2018 during both the indoor and outdoor seasons and earned All-MIAA recognition three times in the sport.

Prior to Albion, Smith served as head men's/women's cross country/assistant track & field coach at Eastern University outside Philadelphia for five seasons from 2021-26. Smith played a key role in rebuilding the Eagles' cross country and distance programs while increasing his roster sizes by 64%. After finishing in 11th at the Middle Atlantic Conference Outdoor Championships on the men's side in his first season, Eastern finished runner-up at the meet in 2026 — their highest placement since 2019 — after the program was founded in 2015.

"We are excited to welcome Kiehl Smith back to our program," Coleman said. "As a student-athlete, Kiehl was one of our most accomplished middle-distance runners and has continued to accomplish at a high level with the work he has done with student-athletes at Eastern University. Welcome home, Kiehl."

On the women's side, Smith guided two NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifiers in Mary Bernotas and Hailey Shreffler. Bernotas earned first-team All-American honors in 2021 after placing seventh in the steeplechase, while Shreffler notched 12th in the 800m in 2025 to claim a spot on the All-America second team. Bernotas also qualified in the steeplechase in 2022 and Shreffler in the 800m in 2024.

In cross country, Smith mentored two-time All-MAC performer Ryle Mellinger. In 2025, he garnered first team honors and broke the program's 8K record following an All-Region performance at the NCAA Metro Region Championships with a 17th place finish. Additionally, three women runners — including Bernotas and Schreffler — earned USTFCCCA All-Region and All-MAC honors in Smith's tenure.

Smith guided Mellinger to a MAC steeplechase title in 2026, while the Eagles' distance medley relay squad landed a championship at the conference indoor meet that same year. In total, Smith oversaw nine men's all-conference (top three) and five USTFCCCA All-Metro Region performances as well as eight program records throughout indoor and outdoor track.

In 2025, Schreffler became the second Eagle to win MAC Track Athlete of the Year honors after she notched 800m and steeplechase titles during the MAC Outdoor Championships. The five-time school recordholder and nine-time USTFCCCA All-Metro Region selection also earned the 800m conference championship at the indoor meet that season. Bernotas won back-to-back MAC steeplechase crowns in 2021 and 2022 and an indoor 5,000m title in 2022, while Schreffler also took home the 1,500m championship in 2024.

Smith oversaw a combined 10 women's All-MAC and 17 USTFCCCA All-Metro Region performances throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons. The Eagles had at least one All-Region nod in each mid-distance and distance event except the 10,000m.

"We are thrilled to add Kiehl to our cross country and Track programs," director of athletics Jennifer Rushton said. "His passion and knowledge will be a huge asset to our current student-athletes. His familiarity with the program and Coach Coleman will without question allow for a smooth transition. I am excited to see Kiehl's teams compete this fall."

Since 2022, Smith has served on the NCAA Division III Cross Country Executive Committee as the men's Metro Region representative. In his role, Smith contributed to the men's cross country national poll and presented legislative and championships proposals discussed at the USTFCCCA convention. He also owns a USTFCCCA specialist certification in endurance events ranging from the 400m to the marathon, including steeplechase, race-walking, cycling and swimming.

A team captain as a senior during the 2019-20 cross country/track & field seasons, Smith graduated with four top 10 track marks in Albion history. He also never finished below 21st at the MIAA Cross Country Championships and notched a career-best 29th-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Great Lakes Regional. Additionally, he placed in the top three at the MIAA Indoor or Outdoor Championships three times, including a runner-up placement in the 1,500m in 2018.

A native of nearby Jonesville, Mich., Smith was a four-time Big 8 Conference champion in cross country and track events at Jonesville High School. He qualified for the MHSAA Championships six times, including twice in cross country. As a senior in 2015, Smith won the regional cross country meet and placed 22nd at the state meet to earn all-state honors. He also earned all-state honors in the 4x800m relay, 800m and mile.

Smith graduated from Albion with a bachelor's in biology and is married to his wife, Megan, who is also an Albion graduate and former member of the cross country and track & field programs.

"Coming back to Albion to help lead the cross country programs is a dream realized," Smith said. "My experience as a student-athlete at Albion was deeply formative and helped develop both a passion for helping athletes develop and guiding young people towards building life changing skills. I believe that Albion has the ability to produce cross country teams that are competitive at the conference level and within Division III. It is an honor to be back and take the reins of a program that had such a profound impact on me. I cannot be more eager to get started and begin working with the team and helping them find their roles in this new chapter of Albion cross country. My hope is to help return Albion cross country to a place of stability and success in the MIAA and beyond.

"I want to sincerely thank Jennifer Rushton as well as [associate athletic director] Andy Lawrence for the opportunity to come back to such a special place and program. I also want to show my gratitude for Lance Coleman and his unwavering leadership of the Albion XCTF community. Lance had much to do with Albion's impact on myself and countless others who have come through the program. Lance's belief in me as a leader didn't just bring me back to Albion, but it also helped me step into my career as a coach at Eastern University."