Who is Kenneth Rooks's Coach?

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Born on October 21, 1999, Kenneth Rooks is a BYU Cougars standout who has clinched silver in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2024 Paris Olympics, clocking a personal best of 8:06.41.

Originally from College Place, Washington, Rooks displayed resilience surging from the back to the front. Despite a chaotic final lap where world record holder Lamecha Girma fell, Rooks outpaced Kenyan Abraham Kibiwot to secure second place behind Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali. The achievement follows his 2023 NCAA title and a victorious performance at the 2023 USA Championships marked Rooks as a rising star in American track and field.

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Quick Facts on Kenneth Rooks's Coach

Kenneth Rooks' Coach

Kenneth Rooks is coached by Ed Eyestone, a two-time Olympic marathoner, long-distance runner, and an NCAA coach.

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Ed Eyestone's Parents

Bob and Virginia Eyestone are the parents of renowned athlete Ed Eyestone. They both hold postgraduate degrees. Their five children excelled academically earning scholarships in writing, music, drama, and athletics, reflecting their parents' educational achievements. The Eyestone children pursued diverse careers as singers, architects, actors, writers, musicians, beauty queens, and runners, as chronicled in "Trials and Triumphs."

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Virginia, Ed's mother, hailed from a family of Mormon pioneers. Eyestone explained in an interview with Deseret News:

“My mom’s side all hoofed it across the plains. Most notably, Edward Shields Reid, who was born in Wales and came across the plains in 1861 at the age of 2, much of it astride his father Edward Reid’s shoulders. Apparently, the Reids are known for their endurance.”

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Ed Eyestone's Wife

Ed Eyestone married Lynn Eyestone and has six daughters.

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Ed Eyestone's Physical Attributes

Ed Eyestone's Coaching Career

Ed Eyestone started his coaching career at Weber State University as an assistant coach from 1996 to 1998. Eyestone took the position of head coach of the cross-country team and served as an assistant coach for the men’s track team on returning to BYU in 2000. His impressive track record led to his promotion as BYU’s head track coach in 2013. Throughout his tenure, Eyestone has been named "Coach of the Year" for the Mountain West Conference (MWC) three times and received the 2012 Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year award for men’s track and field. Eyestone served as assistant track coach at Weber State University from 1996 to 1998 and was the head coach of Team USA at the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda.

Under Eyestone’s guidance, the BYU men's cross-country team clinched its first NCAA Division 1 Championship in 2019. This victory made Eyestone the first male to win an individual NCAA D1 Cross Country title and coach a team to a national title. This accomplishment earned him the title of "Men's National Coach of the Year" by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in 2019 and the State of Utah's Governor's State of Sport Award for Collegiate "Coach of the Year" in 2020. Eyestone has coached 47 All-Americans in distance events and guided five of his runners to national championships which includes Kenneth Rooks (2023 steeplechase) and Clayton Young (2019 10,000m). His athletes with the distance medley relay team won the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships. He coached Jared Ward to a sixth-place finish in the marathon at the 2016 Rio Olympics and helped Conner Mantz and Clayton Young secure spots on Team USA for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Eyestone’s impact on BYU’s cross country and track programs is unparalleled with 17 conference titles and 14 top-three finishes in the Mountain Region Championships.

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Ed Eyestone's Record

Olympic Marathons:

• 1988 Seoul, Korea: Eyestone finished 29th in the Olympic Marathon with a time of 2:19:09.

• 1992 Barcelona, Spain: Eyestone finishing 13th with a time of 2:15:23.

U.S. Road Racer of the Year:

• 1990: First place at the Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville, Florida.

• 1991 - 1995: Dominated the Bellin 10K Run in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

• 1986: Triumphed in the iconic Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco, CA, a victory unmatched by any other American for over three decades.

• 1991: Secured the top spot in the Peachtree Road Race 10K in Atlanta, Georgia.

• 1993: First place in the Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, with a time of 2:14:34.

IAAF World Cross Country Championships:

• 1980 (Junior Men's Individual Race): Bronze Medal.

• 1983 (Men's Team Event): Silver Medal.

• 1984 (Men's Team Event): Silver Medal.

• 1985 (Men's Team Event): Bronze Medal.

• 1986 (Men's Team Event): Bronze Medal.

Ed Eyestone's Awards & Achievement

• Eyestone was a two-time Olympian (1988, 1992) in the Olympic Marathon events.

• Eyestone was inducted into the BYU Hall of Fame in 1998. He was recognized for his exceptional collegiate career with four NCAA championships and ten All-American awards.

• Eyestone coached BYU to the NCAA Championships, earning the Coach of the Year award in 2019 and being recognized as WCC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year multiple times.

• Eyestone coached and mentored 17 All-Americans who won a total of 27 All-America titles throughout his coaching tenure.

• Eyestone was awarded the Governor's State of Sport Award as Collegiate "Coach of the Year" in Utah in 2020 for his coaching achievements.