Randy Crist (Head Men's and Women's Track and Field Coach: 2nd Year / Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach: 18th Year)
Coaching Mission:
- Serving Christ, developing positive character, and having fun, through the platform of athletes.
Education / Coaching Credentials:
- Taylor University - B.S. in Physical Education and Biology
- Georgetown College - M.S. in Education
- University of Kentucky - Ed.D. in Exercise Science
- USATF Level 1 Certification
Coaching Experience
- Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach (Asbury University 2008-Present)
- Head Men's and Women's Track and Field Coach (Asbury University 2024-Present)
- Anderson County High School (1980-1995)
- West Jessamine High School (2000-2010) (Asbury University 2006-2009)
- Coached three state champions in cross country and 22 individual state champions in track & field, including five in the mile.
TeamAU History:
- Head Cross Country Coach 2008-Present
- Three children attended Asbury and participated in Asbury Athletics
Personal:
- Spending time with wife (Sarahlynn), children and grandchildren. I closely follow world-clas track & field, UK sports, and the NFL.
- Officiate Track & Field on both the high school and national level.
- Favorite Bible verse, Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me."
- (Hometown) Wilmore, KY & New Carlisle, OH
More:
Randy Crist is entering his second year in 2025-26 at the helm of the Asbury men’s and women’s track and field programs and his 42nd overall in coaching. In addition, Crist enters his 18th season in leadership of the AU men's and women's cross country teams.
In the 2024-2025 season, Crist led Asbury to seven top-three meet finished across the women's and men's programs. Asbury men's track and field took second place in the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Championship, while the women finsihed third in Asbury's inaugural season in the conference.
The AU men's track and field team also took first place in the 2025 Asbury Invitational. Crist coached two National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA) National Champions in 2024-25, including sophomore Bailey Gassmann's Indoor Mile Championship and freshman Manny Dut's Outdoor 400 National Title.
Asbury track and field received 16 CCS All-Conference honors during in 2024-25 season, including freshman Caleb Cablish as CCS Rookie of the Year in field events.
Dr. Crist spent 27 years as a head track and field coach at the high school level and coached 22 individual track and field state champions. The New Carlisle, Ohio., native served as the Asbury track and field associate head coach during the program's returning season as an intercollegiate sport in the 2023-24 campaign.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to lead the track and field program at Asbury," said Crist. "I fell in love with this sport when my parents took me to a National Championship meet as an elementary school student. In the years since then I have enjoyed track and field as a fan, athlete, official, and especially as a coach. I have loved coaching cross country at Asbury for the last 16 years and am truly blessed to now be entrusted with our track team. The administration at Asbury has embraced athletics and most recently the sport of track & field, recognizing the role it has for developing strong Christian leaders in our world. I am proud to be a part of this mission.
“We are extremely fortunate to have someone with Randy’s expertise and experience to lead our track and field program,” Mark Whitworth, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics & University Communications, said. “His love for the sport combined with his love for Christ make him the perfect fit for the role of establishing this new program. He has already made a profound impact on a generation of Asbury student-athletes while serving as our cross country head coach. Randy’s willingness to lead, along with the blessing of having a spectacular new facility, creates strong momentum for our program.”
Crist received his bachelor’s degree in physical education and biology from Taylor University where he competed on the cross country team. After earning his master’s in education from Georgetown College, Dr. Crist earned his Ed.D. in Exercise Science from the University of Kentucky and served from 2012-2024 as a professor at UK.
As a past President of the Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association (KTCCCA) and inductee of the KTCCCA Hall of Fame, Crist brings a distinguished track and field expertise to the helm of the Asbury program. Crist has also officiated national track and field meets as a USATF Master Level Official, including the Championships of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and the National Collegiate Athletics (NCAA) Regionals. Honored as Regional Coach of the Year 21 times in either cross country or track and field, Crist has also been named Kentucky Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year as well as the Scholastic National High School Coaching Award.
Asbury men's and women's cross country has excelled under the leadership of Crist, earning the highest Asbury Athletics Team GPA for three consecutive years and qualifying student-athletes to post-season National Championships for 16 consecutive years. A dedicated and diligent leader in college athletics, Crist carries passion and wisdom that coincide with the mission of Asbury University.
"I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp prior to my junior year in high school," said Crist. "Since then, I have felt strongly about the impact that coaches and athletics can make for God’s Kingdom."
During his time at Asbury, Crist has helped 18 runners qualify for NAIA National Championships and led the women's cross country team to a conference championship. Crist has also coached five National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA) All-Americans in the past three seasons, including a National Championship Runner-Up in 2023.
Dr. Crist is married to Sarahlynn, who was a collegiate high jumper and long jumper. They have four adult children, three of whom competed at Asbury University.
