Photo by: Mallory Peak | Louisville Athletics
Wyatt Rhoads Tasked with Leading Louisville Throwers
August 05, 2026 | Track & Field
The fourth-year assistant will continue to coach the multis group in addition to leading the throwers.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Joe Franklin has announced that assistant coach Wyatt Rhoads will take on an expanded role effective immediately, coaching the Louisville throwers in addition to continuing to lead the multis group.
Rhoads, who will be entering his fourth year at Louisville as an assistant, has led the Louisville multis to unprecedented success during his time in The Ville. Since his hiring in 2023, his athletes have combined for five All-American honors, six NCAA Championships qualifications, and five ACC conference titles.
Most recently, Rhoads coached KJ Byrd to a pair of national runner-up finishes during the 2026 season, as the sophomore set Louisville program records in the indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon. He also swept both the ACC Men's Field Athlete of the Year and USTFCCCA Southeast Regional Men's Field Athlete of the Year awards between both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
During the 2025 season, Rhoads guided a trio of multis to the NCAA Outdoor Championships to set a new program standard for the combined events group, as Byrd, Lucy Fellows, and Paul Kallenberg all represented the Cardinals at the national championship meet. Byrd earned a pair of First Team All-American honors in 2025 as a freshman, finishing fourth in the decathlon outdoors and seventh in the heptathlon indoors.
Rhoads' athletes have also been dominant at the conference championship meet during his three seasons with the Cardinals, combining for five individual ACC titles and 10 All-ACC honors. Byrd became the first freshman in conference history to win the ACC title in the indoor heptathlon in 2025 and also swept the indoor and outdoor pole vault titles in 2026. Fellows captured her first career conference title in the outdoor heptathlon in 2026, while Kallenberg took the top spot in the outdoor decathlon in 2025.
Prior to being hired at Louisville, Rhoads served as the pole vault and multis coach at New Mexico for the 2022-23 season, while also assisting in the team's recruiting efforts. He also served as a volunteer assistant at Texas Tech from 2021-22 to begin his coaching career after competing collegiately as a multi for six years.
Rhoads spent his first three seasons at Iowa State, where he was also a member of the football team, and then transferred to Colorado for his final three seasons of eligibility. He scored points at the conference championship meet five times, including a fifth-place finish in the decathlon at the 2021 Pac-12 Outdoor Championships.
For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track & Field, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagramand X account at @louisvilletfxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleTFXC.
Rhoads, who will be entering his fourth year at Louisville as an assistant, has led the Louisville multis to unprecedented success during his time in The Ville. Since his hiring in 2023, his athletes have combined for five All-American honors, six NCAA Championships qualifications, and five ACC conference titles.
Most recently, Rhoads coached KJ Byrd to a pair of national runner-up finishes during the 2026 season, as the sophomore set Louisville program records in the indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon. He also swept both the ACC Men's Field Athlete of the Year and USTFCCCA Southeast Regional Men's Field Athlete of the Year awards between both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
During the 2025 season, Rhoads guided a trio of multis to the NCAA Outdoor Championships to set a new program standard for the combined events group, as Byrd, Lucy Fellows, and Paul Kallenberg all represented the Cardinals at the national championship meet. Byrd earned a pair of First Team All-American honors in 2025 as a freshman, finishing fourth in the decathlon outdoors and seventh in the heptathlon indoors.
Rhoads' athletes have also been dominant at the conference championship meet during his three seasons with the Cardinals, combining for five individual ACC titles and 10 All-ACC honors. Byrd became the first freshman in conference history to win the ACC title in the indoor heptathlon in 2025 and also swept the indoor and outdoor pole vault titles in 2026. Fellows captured her first career conference title in the outdoor heptathlon in 2026, while Kallenberg took the top spot in the outdoor decathlon in 2025.
Prior to being hired at Louisville, Rhoads served as the pole vault and multis coach at New Mexico for the 2022-23 season, while also assisting in the team's recruiting efforts. He also served as a volunteer assistant at Texas Tech from 2021-22 to begin his coaching career after competing collegiately as a multi for six years.
Rhoads spent his first three seasons at Iowa State, where he was also a member of the football team, and then transferred to Colorado for his final three seasons of eligibility. He scored points at the conference championship meet five times, including a fifth-place finish in the decathlon at the 2021 Pac-12 Outdoor Championships.
For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track & Field, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagramand X account at @louisvilletfxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleTFXC.
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