Steve Keith
5/31/2002 12:00:00 AM
Steve Keith
Head Cross Country Coach
Assistant Track and Field Coach
skeith@ia.ua.edu
(205) 348-6805
Not content to build the Crimson Tide's distance program one brick at a time, head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach, Steve Keith, now in his fourth season at Alabama, is developing a crew of distance runners from the ground up.
Keith brought a strong group of athletes to campus last season, and those athletes, now sophomores, make up the core of the Tide's distance group. They represent the strongest group Alabama has had in recent memory and seemingly each meet, they get stronger and faster.
"Development is the key to a good distance program," Keith said. "With the group we have in here now, they are going to develop together over the next couple of years. With this kind of youth and talent, it's going to be exciting to watch them grow in this program."
Keith knows the kind of talent it takes to be among the top teams in the Southeastern Conference and the nation and he is dedicated to bringing it to Tuscaloosa. He also knows that Alabama's tradition includes strong middle distance and distance runners. He is determined to return that tradition to the highest level.
Keith came to Alabama after a seven-year stint as head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach for the University of Texas at El Paso's men and women's program. While at UTEP, he coached two national champions, 22 All-Americans and 35 conference champions.
In 1995, he coached Jim Svenoy to the NCAA Steeplechase title and in 2001, Svetlana Badrankova raced to a victory in the NCAA Indoor 800-meter dash under his guidance.
At the Sydney Olympics, two of Keith's former athletes were finalists in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase. Keith has developed Alabama's steeplechase crew from scratch since the event was added to the women's slate of events by the NCAA in 2001.
Last season, sophomore Megan Carnes set a new school record in the steeplechase and just missed qualifying for the NCAA Regional Championships.
In addition to their prowess on the collegiate level, Keith's athletes have been finalists at the Olympic Games, World Championships, Pan American Games, European Championships and World University Games. He has also coached internationally, serving as USA National Coach at the 1990 Yokohama International Women's Ekiden Relays and as an assistant coach at the 1989 U.S. Olympic Festival.
Prior to UTEP, Keith coached the NIKE South Track and Field squad from 1991-94. Other coaching stops include Georgia Tech (1986-91) and Emory University (1983-86).
Keith is well aware of the importance of a good education. Seven of his athletes have earned Academic All-American honors and six of his squads have been named Academic All-American teams including all of his Alabama cross country squads.
"It's obviously something we're very proud of," Keith said. "I can't stress enough the importance of an Alabama education. It's something that will hold them in good stead for the rest of their lives."
A member of Vanderbilt University's cross country and track squads from 1977-81, Keith graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy 1981.
