Vanitta Kinard Joins Rebel Track And Field Staff

OXFORD, Miss. Ole Miss track and field head coach Joe Walker announced Tuesday the completion of his Rebel coaching staff as he has tabbed Vanitta Kinard as an assistant coach who will be in charge of sprints and jumps, while also serving as recruiting coordinator.

A native of Los Angeles, Calif., Kinard continues her coaching career in Oxford following stints at UNLV and her alma mater, Kansas State.  She began her coaching career prior to the 2002-03 season where she served as an assistant coach at Kansas State before opting to pursue her individual career as a triple jumper.  Most recently, Kinard was a volunteer assistant coach in 2007 at UNLV.

“I am very excited to be in the SEC and coaching at Ole Miss,” Kinard said.  “It’s a new and different experience for me since the SEC has more clout that any of the other conferences I have been associated with.  I can’t wait to get out on the recruiting trail and bring in some great athletes to Ole Miss.”

As a collegiate jumper, Kinard began her career at Santa Monica Junior College where she was the 1995 California JUCO triple jump and long jump champion under legendary track and field coach Tommie Smith. 

Kinard went on to transfer to Kansas State where she stared for the Wildcats from 1996-98.  She was a six-time All-American at KSU as she tallied five distinctions in the triple jump and one in the long jump.  In her first year with the Wildcats, Kinard finished second at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in the triple jump, turned in a fourth place showing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and finished 10th at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

As a senior at KSU, she won a Big 12 Outdoor Championships in the triple jump, finished third at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, placed fourth at the USA Outdoor Championships and took 14th at the qualifying World University Games.

Kinard continued her stellar career by winning her first national title in the triple jump at the 2002 USA Indoor Championships by knocking off the defending champion with a mark of 44-08.25.  She then finished second in the triple jump at the 2002 USA Outdoor Championships before repeating as national champion at the 2003 USA Indoor Championships. 

She nearly qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, but her mark just missed the qualifying standard despite her third place finish.

“We’re really excited to have Vanitta on our staff because she brings a lot of things to the table,” Walker said.  “She has very positive and outgoing attitude and approach to young people, and that was one of the first things that jumped out at me.  “She is also a world class athlete and knows what it takes to compete at that level.”

Kinard recently gave birth to her first daughter, Adyn, who is now seven months old. 

The University of Mississippi Athletics

Related Videos