Matthew Lowe was named the next Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College in June 2026.
Lowe returned to KWC after previously serving as an assistant cross country and track and field coach from 2016-18.
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
Lowe, a native of Long Beach, California, attended Brescia University and was a member of the Bearcats’ inaugural cross country team in 2008. He became the first athlete in program history to earn All-American honors and become a member of the Hall of Fame.
Lowe graduated from Brescia with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and later earned a Masters of Sports Science in Sports Coaching from the United States Sports University and a Masters of Education in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University. He is also a USATF Level II Endurance certified coach and is currently working toward his NSCA CSCS certification.
Lowe was formerly the Head Cross Country and Distance Track Coach at both Saint Martin’s University and Friends University. At Saint Martin’s, he led the women’s program through one of the strongest stretches in program history, including back-to-back GNAC runner-up team finishes. Even more impressively, he powered the Saints to back-to-back top 10 team finishes at the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships, including a program-best 7th place finish.
Lowe has coached multiple national qualifiers, All-Conference athletes, All-Region performers, school record holders, and an All-American. He has proven experience in collegiate coaching, recruiting, athlete development, strength and conditioning, personal training, and private coaching. His overall coaching philosophy emphasizes process-driven athlete development with focus on preparation, consistency, accountability, individualization, trust, and growth.
“I am thrilled to welcome Matt back to the KWC family. He has accomplished some great things since serving as an assistant coach here,” Vice President of Athletics Jason 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.”
Matt and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters, Ellinor and Laurel, and are happy to be part of the Owensboro community once again.
