The Concord University Athletic Department released the hiring of Jonathan Kigel to the position of head men's and women's track & field and cross country coach June 23, 2025.

With Monday's announcement, Kigel becomes just the second head coach for the program since 2001 as he replaces Mike Cox.

Kigel comes to Concord from fellow Division II school Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida where he spent the last two years helping grow an up-and-coming running program in the Sunshine State. Kigel was an assistant to Lynn head coach Junior Cadet starting in January 2023—his first collegiate job.

"First, I want to thank the Concord University administration, the athletic department and hiring committee for this opportunity," Kigel began. "I'm excited to join this community and help build a program where athletes, not only achieve their personal bests, but grow as individuals both on and off the track.

"Cross country and track are more than just racing. They are about creating resilience, team work and a mindset that carry over into all areas of life."

At Lynn, Kigel guided Luke Sweatman to All-Sunshine State Conference Second Team honors in cross country which was the Knights' first all-conference member in the program's existence—dating back to the 2018-19 academic year. With Kigel's guidance, Sweatman set school records in the 800-meter run (1:50.53), 1,500-meter run (3:46.30) and 5,000-meter run (14:39). Sweatman earned All-South Region in both the 800-meters and 1,500-meters as a junior and just missed all-region as a senior in the half mile this past spring.

Sweatman hasn't been Lynn's only all-region athlete during Kigel's tenure with the Knights. In the spring of 2024, Brooke Mullins was an All-South Region performer for Lynn in the 3,000-meter steeplechase as she ran a school-record time of 11:43.33.

"The opportunity to lead this team is an honor. We have a lot of potential as a team, and I'm excited to see how we can grow together this year and beyond," Kigel said.
Kigel has experience in the sprint disciplines as well. Collin Clark was an all-region athlete each of the last two years in the 400-meter dash, running a time of 46.72 seconds this spring. Along with Clark's success in the quarter-mile, Lynn was represented at this year's NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships with Paul Mosley earning First Team All-American in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. He finished sixth in the 100-meter dash, clocking 10.10 seconds. In the 200-meters, Mosley was the national runner-up with a time of 20.55 seconds. It was Mosley's second visit to the national championship met after finishing 12^th in the 200-meter dash at the 2024 outdoor championships.

"We're excited to welcome Jonathan Kigel to the Concord Athletics family," Concord Co-Athletic Director Luke Duffy said. "Jonathan's coaching ability and expertise aligns well with the history of our running programs at CU. We look forward to watching him continue to grow an already successful program."

Co-Athletic Director Tesla Southcott echoed the same sentiments. "Jonathan's work ethic to get the best out of his athletes really intrigued us during the hiring process," she said. "The program that Jonathan is stepping in to lead at Concord is one that has been built on hard work, but also a family atmosphere that values relationships after college.

"Jonathan will be able to carry on what has already been established by Coach Cox for Concord cross country and track & field, and we look forward to him putting his impression on these programs," Southcott said.

Kigel arrives in Athens with a bevy of certifications to his name. The 2017 graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology has his level three certificate from United States of American Track & Field (USATF) with an emphasis in endurance. He also has certificates from the USATF in level two jumps, sprints, hurdles and throws as well as a cross country specialist certification.

Additionally, Kigel is a certified strength & conditioning specialist, even serving as the interim strength coach at Lynn for a short time from January 2024 to March 2024 where he worked with the Knights' swim and baseball teams.

The next cross country and track & field head coach at Concord got into the running world with his first stop coming at Gainesville (Fla.) High School as a volunteer assistant in 2018. He moved on to Park Vista High School—Kigel's alma mater—in January 2020. After his experience on the high school circuit, Kigel headed the University of South Florida Running Club from August 2021 to December 2022.

While at USF, Kigel earned his master's degree in exercise science.