Jonathan McCants Named Coker's New Head Cross Country/Track and Field Coach

HARTSVILLE, S.C. - Jonathan McCants has been named Coker's new Head Cross Country/Track and Field Coach, announced today (Thursday, Sept. 15) by Vice President of Athletics and Athletic Facilities Dr. Lynn Griffin. 

"We are excited to welcome Coach McCants to Coker," said Griffin. "He had tremendous success as a student-athlete and as a coach at the University of Charleston and the University of Mount Olive. I look forward to watching Coach McCants continue to build the Coker cross country and track and field programs."

McCants comes to Coker from the University of Mount Olive where he was the Assistant Coach during the 2021 season, predominantly working with sprinters and long hurdlers. Mount Olive captured both the men's and women's indoor and outdoor championships with McCants on staff. McCants also coached two United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region relay teams, one individual school record holder and one relay school record holder. 

Prior to Mount Olive, McCants was an Assistant Coach at the University of Charleston in West Virginia from 2019-21. While at UC, he worked with the cross country team and helped guide them to a No. 18 finish at the NCAA Division II national meet. On the track side, he worked with the sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers, posting a Mountain East Conference championship with one sprinter being named a Division II All-American. McCants also coached tow individual athletes and one relay team to First Team All-Atlantic Region honors while helping the men's team to the 2021 MEC Outdoor Conference Championship. McCants was previously a Graduate Assistant at UC, where he helped the men's team to back-to-back MEC Outdoor Championships (2018, 2019). He also coached 15 MEC champions between individual and relay events, as well as 18 school record holders. 

Prior to Charleston, he was an Assistant Coach at Virginia Tech, working with the sprinters and hurdlers. While McCants was on staff, Virginia Tech won both the men's and women's Atlantic Coast Conference championships in 2017. 

McCants has also coached with the Cobra Track Club in Alexandria, Va. and was a counselor at Coach Rich Sports. 

"I'm excited and thankful to Dr. Griffin and the search committee for the opportunity to lead the Coker University track and field and cross country programs to new heights," said McCants. "I believe that we can build something special at Coker and I can't wait to get started." 

As a collegiate track and field athlete, McCants was a three-time All-ACC selection, while being a part of two ACC Indoor Conference Championship teams. He was a 2012 Second Team All-American, and the Virginia Tech Men's Team MVP that same year. In 2013 he set both the  indoor 200m and 300m school records, while qualifying for the USATF outdoor national championships in the 200 in 2014. 

McCants holds a Master's of Science in Strategic Leadership from the University of Charleston (2018), and a Bachelor's of Science in Resource Management and Consumer Studies from Virginia Tech (2014). 

He has a dog named Dexter.