Kentucky Wesleyan College has hired Matt Lowe as the next head coach of its men’s and women’s cross country programs as the college prepares to bring the sport back in 2027.
Lowe returns to Kentucky Wesleyan after previously serving as an assistant cross country and track and field coach from 2016-18. The college announced earlier this year that it would reinstate cross country after discontinuing the program in 2023. Competition is scheduled to resume in fall 2027.
“I am incredibly blessed and grateful for the opportunity to return to Kentucky Wesleyan College as the Head Cross Country Coach,” Lowe said. “KWC is a special place that helped launch my coaching journey, and I am excited to come back with a vision to build a program rooted in a process-driven philosophy, a strong team identity, and a positive environment focused on holistic growth.”
Lowe said he hopes to create opportunities for student-athletes who want to continue competing beyond high school.
“My goal is to establish a program for student-athletes coming out of high school who believe their running journey is not finished and want to see how far they can go with their talents,” Lowe continued. “My priority is to assemble a strong committed team who are willing to invest in our culture, our standards, and the long-term growth of the program.”
Lowe said he is eager to begin recruiting and preparing for the program’s return to competition.
“I am excited to hit the ground running as we begin building a committed team, connecting with future Panthers, and preparing for our season debut in the fall of 2027,” Lowe said. “I also look forward to building relationships with the community. My family and I are thankful and very excited for this opportunity to be part of the Kentucky Wesleyan community again, and proud to call Owensboro our new home.”
A native of Long Beach, California, Lowe attended Brescia University, where he was a member of the school’s inaugural cross country team in 2008. He became the first athlete in program history to earn All-American honors and was later inducted into the Brescia Hall of Fame.
Lowe earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brescia University, a master’s degree in sports coaching from the United States Sports University, and a master’s degree in secondary education from Grand Canyon University. He is a USATF Level II Endurance certified coach and is working toward his NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification.
Before returning to Kentucky Wesleyan, Lowe served as head cross country and distance track coach at Saint Martin’s University and Friends University. At Saint Martin’s, he guided the women’s program to back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships, including a program-best seventh-place finish.
Throughout his coaching career, Lowe has coached national qualifiers, all-conference and all-region performers, school record holders, and an All-American.
Kentucky Wesleyan Vice President of Athletics Jason Vittone said Lowe’s previous experience with the college and success at other programs made him a strong fit to lead the Panthers’ return to competition.
“I am thrilled to welcome Matt back to the KWC family. He has accomplished some great things since serving as an assistant coach here,” Vittone said. “He has shown a great track record of success and already has a deep institutional knowledge base. We are excited about the opportunity to return this program to our department, and I trust Matt will embrace this and drive the program forward.”
Lowe and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters, Ellinor and Laurel, and will be returning to the Owensboro community.
