Ryan McKenzie to lead Alcorn Track & Field

Story from Alcorn Athletics:
VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Ryan McKenzie was announced as head coach for Alcorn Cross Country and Track & Field on Thursday, July 2, by Director of Athletics E. D’Wayne Robinson. The announcement comes after the departure of Alonzo Banks, who took a similar position at Grambling State University last month.
 
A native of Columbia, Mississippi, McKenzie arrives to Alcorn from William Carey University, where he has served as head coach of the track & field program since 2022. However, he has been in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, at WCU for over a decade, having also been an assistant coach for the Crusaders. His primary focus was working closely with horizontal and vertical jumps.
 
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach [Ryan] McKenzie to the Alcorn State family,” expressed Robinson. “His proven track record of developing student-athletes both on the track and in the classroom made him the clear choice to lead our track & field program into its next chapter.
 
“I also want to show my sincere appreciation to Alonzo Banks and everything he did for us at Alcorn, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors. The work he did here speaks for itself in the form of our university, student-athletes and community.”
 
In his time at WCU, McKenzie was named Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year in 2024, while going on to sweep the SSAC Women’s Coach of the Year accolades in both indoor and outdoor seasons across 2024 as well. Additionally, he was the 2023 Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year. In back-to-back seasons (2021-22), McKenzie earned United State Track & Field Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) Women’s Outdoor National Assistant Coach of the Year, respectfully.
 
These awards and more go along with his being named eight times as the USTFCCCA South Region Assistant coach of the Year with the Crusaders.
 
“Returning to Alcorn State University as head coach for Track & Field is far more than a career opportunity,” said McKenzie. “It’s coming home.”
 
In all for the Crusaders, McKenzie helped coach a total of 33 conference champions, 44 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Champion qualifiers, 33 NAIA All-America performers, and nine NAIA National Champions. Almost all of McKenzie’s athletes have seen personal bests under his direction, while setting every school record in jumps across the board, in addition to several conference records, respectively.
 
“After a thorough national search, it was clear that McKenzie’s coaching philosophy aligned perfectly with our vision for Alcorn State Athletics,” continued Robinson. “We’re excited about the direction our track & field program is headed.”
 
He was responsible for coaching the William Carey men’s long jump NAIA national record holder.
 
In 2022, McKenzie, a 2005 graduate of Alcorn, was selected as horizontal and vertical jumps coach for the USA team at the International University Sports Federation (FISU) America Games in Merida, Mexico. He was highlighted for this achievement by Alcorn in a September 2022 press release sent out by the university.
 
“The university laid the foundation for me as a student-athlete and in becoming the coach that I am today,” continued McKenzie. “The lessons, discipline, relationships, and pride that I developed here shaped my journey, and I will always be grateful for that.
 
“My goal is to pour into the program with the same passion, belief and championship mindset that Alcorn instilled into me, while helping the next generation create a legacy of their own.”
 
Prior to WCU, McKenzie coached multiple Mississippi High School State Final qualifiers at both Oak Grove High School and East Marion High School.

McKenzie is a 2005 graduate of Alcorn, where he earned a Bachelor of Recreation and Physical Education, followed by a Masters of Secondary Education (2014). While at Alcorn, McKenzie was a four-year letterwinner in track & field, where he earned multiple Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) all-conference accolades. McKenzie also competed at the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Regional in the 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay, and long jump.
 
“This is a homecoming for excellence,” added Robinson. “McKenzie is exactly the leader our student-athletes can look at as one of our own, and we’re glad he’s coming back to Lorman.”