University of Tennessee Athletics
Ross Hires Baylee Mires as Assistant Coach for Cross Country and Distance
August 20, 2026 | Track & Field, Cross Country
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach and director of track & field Duane Ross announced Thursday the hiring of Baylee Mires as an assistant coach. Mires will work under head cross country coach Justin Duncan, assisting with the coaching of Tennessee's cross country and distance athletes.
Mires joins the Tennessee staff following three seasons at Louisville, where she helped guide the Cardinals' distance program to one NCAA individual championship, eight USTFCCCA All-America honors, two ACC individual titles and 16 NCAA Championship qualifications. She was named the 2026 USTFCCCA Southeast Regional Men's Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year following a historic campaign with the Cardinals.
"I am extremely excited to welcome Baylee to Tennessee," Ross said. "She has proven herself as one of the top young coaches in the country, and the success she has had developing athletes at the conference and national levels speaks for itself. Her experience, energy and approach to coaching will be a tremendous addition to our cross country and distance programs."
"We're thrilled to have Baylee joining our coaching staff," Duncan said. "She brings a tremendous work ethic, a fresh perspective and a genuine commitment to helping our athletes reach their full potential. Baylee is a great fit for our program and the culture we are continuing to build, and we're excited for what's ahead."
During the 2026 outdoor season, Mires helped guide Geoffrey Kirwa to the NCAA title in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase, while Elsingi Kipruto earned NCAA silver in the 10,000 meters and bronze in the 5,000 meters. Ryan Farrell also earned Second Team All-America honors in the 800 meters, with Louisville's distance group combining for four All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Kirwa and Kipruto both set ACC and Louisville records during the outdoor season, with Kirwa's 8:08.10 in the steeplechase improving upon his No. 2 time in collegiate history. Kirwa was named both the ACC and USTFCCCA Southeast Regional Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, while Kipruto became the first athlete in ACC history to sweep the conference's Freshman of the Year awards in cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field.
Mires also helped Kipruto earn 2026 ACC Men's Indoor Freshman of the Year honors after he placed fourth in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships and third in the 3,000 meters at the ACC Indoor Championships. Under Mires' direction, Louisville athletes set program records in the men's 3,000 and 5,000 meters, men's 800 meters and women's mile, in addition to seven freshman records during the indoor season.
During the 2025 cross country season, Mires helped Louisville's men's cross country team reach the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2015. The Cardinals finished 26th nationally, while freshman Elsingi Kipruto earned All-America honors with a 39th-place finish. Louisville also posted its best NCAA Southeast Regional finish in a decade, placing sixth, and recorded its best ACC Championships finish since 2016 with an eighth-place showing.
"I'm incredibly excited to join the staff at Tennessee and help build a distance program that competes for championships," Mires said. "The culture, resources and community surrounding Tennessee Athletics are truly something special. I'm grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Coach Ross and Coach Duncan to develop our student-athletes, recruit the best, and contribute to one team with one goal – to win."
Mires arrived at Louisville in July 2023 following a season as the women's distance coach at Florida State. In her lone season with the Seminoles, she helped the women's cross country team advance to the NCAA Championships after finishing second at the NCAA South Region Championships. The team went on to place 18th nationally. Mires also guided Alyson Churchill to an NCAA berth in the outdoor 5,000 meters, where she earned Second Team All-America honors.
Prior to Florida State, Mires began her collegiate coaching career at Notre Dame during the 2021-22 season. As the assistant women's distance coach, she helped the Fighting Irish produce nine NCAA All-Americans, 10 NCAA First Round entries and seven All-ACC honorees, while the women's cross country team finished fifth at the 2021 NCAA Championships.
Mires also brings experience at the high school level, having served as an assistant cross country and track coach at Bishop Blanchet High School and Interlake High School in the Greater Seattle area.
A native of Spokane, Washington, Mires was a standout athlete at the University of Washington from 2012-16 before competing professionally for the Brooks Beast Track Club and Under Armour. She earned first team All-America honors in the 800 meters as a senior and in the distance medley relay as both a junior and senior, while also earning second team All-America honors in the 800 meters as a junior. As a freshman, she was part of Washington's 2012 national championship DMR squad, the first women's team in program history to win an indoor championship.
Mires earned her bachelor's degree in early childhood development and family studies with a minor in nutrition from Washington in 2016.
Mires joins the Tennessee staff following three seasons at Louisville, where she helped guide the Cardinals' distance program to one NCAA individual championship, eight USTFCCCA All-America honors, two ACC individual titles and 16 NCAA Championship qualifications. She was named the 2026 USTFCCCA Southeast Regional Men's Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year following a historic campaign with the Cardinals.
"I am extremely excited to welcome Baylee to Tennessee," Ross said. "She has proven herself as one of the top young coaches in the country, and the success she has had developing athletes at the conference and national levels speaks for itself. Her experience, energy and approach to coaching will be a tremendous addition to our cross country and distance programs."
"We're thrilled to have Baylee joining our coaching staff," Duncan said. "She brings a tremendous work ethic, a fresh perspective and a genuine commitment to helping our athletes reach their full potential. Baylee is a great fit for our program and the culture we are continuing to build, and we're excited for what's ahead."
During the 2026 outdoor season, Mires helped guide Geoffrey Kirwa to the NCAA title in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase, while Elsingi Kipruto earned NCAA silver in the 10,000 meters and bronze in the 5,000 meters. Ryan Farrell also earned Second Team All-America honors in the 800 meters, with Louisville's distance group combining for four All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Kirwa and Kipruto both set ACC and Louisville records during the outdoor season, with Kirwa's 8:08.10 in the steeplechase improving upon his No. 2 time in collegiate history. Kirwa was named both the ACC and USTFCCCA Southeast Regional Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, while Kipruto became the first athlete in ACC history to sweep the conference's Freshman of the Year awards in cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field.
Mires also helped Kipruto earn 2026 ACC Men's Indoor Freshman of the Year honors after he placed fourth in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships and third in the 3,000 meters at the ACC Indoor Championships. Under Mires' direction, Louisville athletes set program records in the men's 3,000 and 5,000 meters, men's 800 meters and women's mile, in addition to seven freshman records during the indoor season.
During the 2025 cross country season, Mires helped Louisville's men's cross country team reach the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2015. The Cardinals finished 26th nationally, while freshman Elsingi Kipruto earned All-America honors with a 39th-place finish. Louisville also posted its best NCAA Southeast Regional finish in a decade, placing sixth, and recorded its best ACC Championships finish since 2016 with an eighth-place showing.
"I'm incredibly excited to join the staff at Tennessee and help build a distance program that competes for championships," Mires said. "The culture, resources and community surrounding Tennessee Athletics are truly something special. I'm grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Coach Ross and Coach Duncan to develop our student-athletes, recruit the best, and contribute to one team with one goal – to win."
Mires arrived at Louisville in July 2023 following a season as the women's distance coach at Florida State. In her lone season with the Seminoles, she helped the women's cross country team advance to the NCAA Championships after finishing second at the NCAA South Region Championships. The team went on to place 18th nationally. Mires also guided Alyson Churchill to an NCAA berth in the outdoor 5,000 meters, where she earned Second Team All-America honors.
Prior to Florida State, Mires began her collegiate coaching career at Notre Dame during the 2021-22 season. As the assistant women's distance coach, she helped the Fighting Irish produce nine NCAA All-Americans, 10 NCAA First Round entries and seven All-ACC honorees, while the women's cross country team finished fifth at the 2021 NCAA Championships.
Mires also brings experience at the high school level, having served as an assistant cross country and track coach at Bishop Blanchet High School and Interlake High School in the Greater Seattle area.
A native of Spokane, Washington, Mires was a standout athlete at the University of Washington from 2012-16 before competing professionally for the Brooks Beast Track Club and Under Armour. She earned first team All-America honors in the 800 meters as a senior and in the distance medley relay as both a junior and senior, while also earning second team All-America honors in the 800 meters as a junior. As a freshman, she was part of Washington's 2012 national championship DMR squad, the first women's team in program history to win an indoor championship.
Mires earned her bachelor's degree in early childhood development and family studies with a minor in nutrition from Washington in 2016.
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