The UIS athletic department has announced the expansion of its track and field program by initiating a search for a full-time assistant coach for focus on sprints and jumps. The track program, which was added to the athletics portfolio in 2010, has focused on distance runners almost exclusively up to this point. 

With the new assistant coach, the program is planning to add 30-40 student-athletes to its roster over the next several years with the initial group of sprinters and jumpers enrolling as soon as the fall of 2026. This will enable UIS to enhance its competition within the Great Lakes Valley Conference and at the NCAA Division II level with fully developed rosters capable of contributing to more complete team scoring. 

"Our distance program has been among the best in the GLVC under the leadership of coach Tyler Pence and his successor and current head coach Emmons King. The men finished second and the women, third, in the most recent GLVC Cross Country Championships," said director of athletics Mike Hermann. "I'm confident under Coach King's leadership that we will soon see similar success as we begin to expand the program."

"This is an important step forward for our program," head coach Emmons King said. "Adding a full-time assistant allows us to better support our student-athletes while continuing to grow and compete at a high level. Hiring now also puts us in a strong position to recruit for the 2026-27 season and beyond."