Texas Tech Renames Drive of Champions After Legendary Head Coach

Texas Tech University has renamed the iconic Drive of Champions after the current and longest tenured head coach of track and field, Wes Kittley.

Where is Drive of Champions?

TTU Alumni and Red Raider fans alike will remember that this stretch of road off of the Marsha Sharp freeway at US-82 leads to the Jones AT&T Stadium.

The announcement on Thursday from Texas Tech Athletics stated that the name was officially changed that morning to the Wes Kittley Drive of Champions. The news comes after Kittley marks his 27th season coaching the track and field program.

Who is Wes Kittley?

Kittley has spent nearly three decades building Texas Tech track and field to one of the nation's most recognized and respected collegiate programs.

"Naming this street Wes Kittley Drive of Champions recognizes not only his historic achievements, but the culture of belief, discipline and integrity, he's instilled in generations of Red Raiders," Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt said.

Kittley coached at Abilene Christian University before joining Texas Tech in 1999. While at Tech, Kittley brought track and field to 16 Big 12 team titles and produced 37 NCAA champions and 227 Big 12 individual champions.

If this isn't impressive enough, 24 Olympians have come out of Kittley's program over the years.

The renaming of Drive of Champions comes just two years after Kittley was inducted into the Texas Tech Athletics Hall of Honor. Kittley voiced his surprise when he heard the news on Thursday:

I am truly honored by this . . . I always want to have an opportunity to change a young person's life, and Tech has given me that opportunity for so many years. Thank you again for putting up with me for all this time and giving me the opportunity to raise my kids in Lubbock — the greatest place in the world to live.

Keep up with how Red Raider Track and Field is doing after wrapping up their regular season in April from the Texas Tech Athletics website.