Milan Donley

Position: Kansas Relays Meet Director Experience: 10th Year at Kansas

On Nov. 1, 2006, Milan Donley was named the new Meet Director for the Kansas Relays. Donley had previously served as the horizontal jumps coach for the Jayhawks for seven seasons.

Under Donley's direction, the 82nd anniversary of the Kansas Relays in 2009 attracted nearly 15,000 fans, and in 2008, track and field enthusiasts enjoyed 11 meet records, a world-leading time and several thrilling performances over the four-day event.

In 2007, Donley's first year as the Relays meet director, over 10,000 spectators passed through the gates, taking in four days of spectacular weather and competition.

In 2005, Donley coached long jumpers Charisse Bacchus and Shatoya Hill to fourth and eighth-place finishes, respectively, at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. He also coached Brooklyn Hann to a third-place finish in the triple jump. Hann went on to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, where she garnered All-American honors after an eighth-place finish in her event. Hann's finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the triple jump followed her 10th-place result at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Bacchus also had a 10th-place finish at this same meet in the long jump. At the Big 12 Indoor Championships, Donley coached Hann and Hill to third and fifth-place finishes, respectively, in the triple jump. On the men's side in 2005, Donley coached Barrett Saunders to a fifth-place finish in the long jump at the Big 12 Indoor Championships and a sixth-place result at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in the same event. For his efforts, the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Donley the Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2005.

Under Donley's guidance in 2003, triple jumper Benaud Shirley qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, while Brooklyn Hann and Monique Peters both qualified for the Midwest Regional Championships.

In 2002, Donley mentored three conference champions: Big 12 indoor long jump champion Peters, Big 12 outdoor triple jump champion Hann and Big 12 outdoor triple jump champion Shirley. He also coached an All-American, as Hann advanced to NCAA competition and finished 10th in the triple jump. Hann also broke both the indoor and outdoor Kansas women's triple jump records.

Prior to coming to KU, Donley guided 17 All-Americans, two national champions, four Olympic team members, two U.S. champions and two American record holders. This included 1996 Olympian Sheila Hudson, an American record holder in the women's triple jump and a six-time NCAA champion in the long jump and triple jump. Donley also coached his wife, Julie, in the 1992 Olympic Games.

Donley came to Kansas from East Tennessee State University where he was the head track and field and cross country coach. While at ETSU, Donley was Southern Conference Coach of the Year three times in 1996, 1998 and 1999. He guided 54 individual Southern Conference champions, 13 NCAA qualifiers and two All-Americans, while his teams set 25 school records. Donley was also the coach of 13-time Southern Conference champion Taneisha Robinson, who competed in the long jump and triple jump. Robinson was also a two-time Southern Conference Athlete of the Year and two time NCAA qualifier.

Before his stint at ETSU, Donley was an assistant track and field and cross country coach at the University of Arkansas. While at Arkansas, Donley coached eight All-Americans and 15 SEC individual champions. Donley previously coached at the University of Illinois as an assistant.

Prior to Illinois, Donley coached at several other schools including Cal Berkeley, Southwest Texas State and Adams State College. While at those schools, Donley's athletes earned many accolades, including two All-American honors, one multiple national champion, an NCAA qualification and an NAIA indoor team championship in 1985.

Donley earned his level I and II instructor's certificates and was the USATF women's triple jump development coordinator from 1990-93. He has also directed several track and field camps while at Arkansas, East Tennessee State, Illinois and Adams State.

Donley coached the 1997-99 Canadian 800-meter champion and 2000 Canadian Olympic team member Zachary Whitmarsh. He received numerous coaching awards, including the Southern Conference men's and women's cross country Coach of the Year and the NAIA Women's Track Coach of the Year, for both the indoor and outdoor seasons.

Donley and his wife, Julie, reside in Lawrence with their three children, Hailey, Ethan and Anna.