Presque Isle, ME – The University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) is proud to announce the appointment of McKinley Ward-La Salle as the new Head Coach of the Track and Field program. Ward-La Salle brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in coaching and athletics administration to UMPI.
Ward-La Salle's most recent position was at Fort Scott XC/Track & Field & Athletics in Fort Scott, Kansas, where he served as Head Cross Country/Assistant Track & Field Coach for the 2023-2024 year. The Greyhound men and women both took third at the 2024 KJCCC Indoor Track & Field Championships. He assisted in coaching the men's 800m KJCCC indoor conference champion. The Fort Scott sprints crews he assisted with set multiple school relay records.
In his role at Fort Scott, Ward-La Salle was responsible for all aspects of the cross-country program, ensuring compliance with NJCAA Division I and KJCCC Conference rules. Ward-La Salle also has significant experience at the NCAA Division I level, having coached the distance crews as an assistant at Georgia Tech for the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2023. There, he assisted in coaching the 2023 Penn Relays 3000m Steeplechase Champion and NCAA Outdoor Nationals Qualifier Zach Jaeger. During the indoor season the women took 12th-place, while the men finished in 14th-place at the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships. For the outdoor season the women took 13th-place, with the men again taking 14th-place.
His extensive background also includes roles as a Kinesiology Instructor & Physiology Lab Assistant at Northwestern State University, Volunteer Cross Country Coach at Natchitoches Central High School, and Athletic Communications Director at Georgia Tech Athletics. Additionally, he worked as a Graduate Assistant for Cross Country/Track & Field Programs at Northern Arizona University as a communications director and as an Athletic Communications Intern/Volunteer Cross Country Sports Information Director at Louisiana Tech University.
Ward-La Salle holds a Master's degree in Administration from Northwestern State University, and was awarded Assistant of the Year by the department. He also has a Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from Louisiana Tech University, and an American Diploma/International Baccalaureate from Saint Andrews College in Dublin, Ireland.
Coach Ward-La Salle spoke about his new position at UMPI, "I appreciate the opportunity given to me by Athletic Director Dan Kane and the hiring committee. The values and vision presented to me through the hiring process made me see UMPI as a great value for student-athletes on the track and academically." Coach continued, expressing his appreciation for his previous experiences, "I would be remiss if I did not thank the coaches and student-athletes of the Northern Arizona, Georgia Tech and Fort Scott Community College cross country and track programs for their time and support in my career. I am excited about the future for the Owls track program."
Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation Dan Kane expressed his enthusiasm for the new appointment, stating, "We are thrilled to welcome Coach Ward-La Salle to the UMPI family. His impressive experience at some of the top programs in the nation, along with his dedication to developing student-athletes both on and off the track, make him the ideal candidate to help UMPI grow our track and field programs."
The University of Maine at Presque Isle is thrilled to welcome McKinley Ward-La Salle as the new Track and Field Head Coach.
