Who Is Joe Kovacs’ Coach?

Joe Kovacs, the two-time world champion and silver medalist in the shot put at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is coached by his wife, Ashley Kovacs.

Ashley, a former All-American shot putter at the University of Kentucky, took over as Joe's coach in 2019 after he considered quitting the sport due to a long slump.

The decision to have Ashley as his coach brought good results, as Joe went on to win the 2019 World Athletics Championships with a personal best throw of 22.91 meters, the third-farthest throw in history at the time.

Quick Facts on Joe Kovacs’ Coach

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Joe Kovacs Coach

Joe Kovacs Previous Coach List

Ashley Kovacs’ husband

Ashley Kovacs’ Coaching Career

Ashley Kovacs’ Record

Ashley Kovacs’ Awards & Achievement

Joe Kovacs’ Coach

Ashley Kovacs, a former standout thrower at the University of Kentucky, has earned a place as one of the most respected throws coaches in the United States.

Before joining Vanderbilt as the associate head coach and throws coach in 2021, Ashley spent seven years at Ohio State University, where she served as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

During her time at Ohio State, Ashley coached two national champions to three NCAA titles, and 15 Big Ten champions, and guided athletes to 24 top-three conference finishes.

One example of her expertise was Adelaide Aquilla, who won both the indoor and outdoor shot put titles in 2022 and ranks fourth all-time in NCAA history, as sourced from the official website of Vanderbilt University.

Joe Kovacs’ Previous Coach List

During his time at Penn State University, Joe Kovacs was coached by Danna Wagner in his freshman year. After Wagner stepped down from her coaching role, T.J. Crater took over as Joe's coach. Joe has previously expressed his appreciation for having Crater as his coach on his official website.

Ashley Kovacs' Husband

Ashley Kovacs is married to Joe Kovacs, the two-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist in the shot put. The couple met in the summer of 2017 and tied the knot in November 2018 in Ashley's hometown of North Canton, Ohio.

Ashley took over as Joe's coach in 2019 after he hit a low point in his career and considered quitting the sport. Under Ashley's coaching, Joe rediscovered his form and won the world championship in 2019.

Ashley Kovacs' Coaching Career

Ashley Kovacs' coaching career started from being a graduate assistant at Murray State University from 2011 to 2012, where she tutored throwers and mentored Tonia Pratt to Ohio Valley Conference championships in the weight and hammer throws.

From 2012 to 2014, Ashley worked as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky University. During her term, she coached the women's throwers to 10 of the top 25 throwing marks in program history, including school records in the indoor and outdoor shot put, weight throw, and discus. The Hilltoppers won both the indoor and outdoor conference championships in 2014.

Ashley then spent seven years (2014-2021) as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Ohio State University.

Since 2021, Ashley Kovacs has been working as the associate head coach and throws coach for the Vanderbilt University women's track and field program, which also houses all this information about her career on its official website. In her starting season, she coached Divine Oladipo, resetting school records in the discus and the indoor and outdoor shot put.

In the 2023 outdoor season, Ashley coached Veronica Fraley to the East Region title in the shot put and discus, as well as the SEC title in the discus. Fraley broke the school and facility records in the discus with a 62.84-meter toss.

Ashley Kovacs' Records

Ashley Kovacs has an impressive coaching record, having mentored a world champion, three NCAA champions, 20 All-Americans, 24 conference champions, and 34 individuals who advanced to the NCAA Championships.

As of 2024, she has also coached three regional Athlete-of-the-Year honorees, eight top-three finishers at NCAAs, and 10 conference championship teams.

Ashley Kovacs’ Awards & Achievement

• Named an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.

• 2021 Outdoor Coach of the Year for the Great Lakes Region

• 2019 USTFCCCA Regional Coach of the Year

• 2014 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year