Casey Kear enters his second season as UC Irvine's distance coach after joining the Anteater staff in August 2019.
In his first year with the 'Eaters, Kear mentored Hannah Chau, who earned All-Big West honors after finishing fifth at the conference championships. Earlier in the season, Chau ran the fourth-fastest 6K in program history at 20:44.5.
In the classroom, both the men's and women's cross country squads were named USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams. They also combined for six Big West Fall All-Academic honors in 2019.
Prior to his arrival at UCI, Kear spent two seasons as the assistant distance coach at Long Beach State. During his time at the Beach, he helped develop a Big West Men's Freshman of the Year and two all-conference performers in cross country. On the track, he coached the 2019 Big West steeplechase champion. LBSU also won the Big West team title in men's and women's track & field during his tenure.
Kear was previously a volunteer assistant at Nebraska. While on the staff from 2014-17, he helped the Huskers to three Big Ten track & field championships. The distance group had six NCAA West Regional qualifiers and combined for 14 performances that landed on the program's all-time top-10 list.
Kear also served as an assistant coach at Point Loma Nazarene (2013), and as the head girls' cross country/assistant track & field coach at San Juan Hills High School (2011-13).
Kear had a standout collegiate career himself as he was a three-time NAIA national qualifier in the 3000m steeplechase at Point Loma. He was also a two-time Golden State Athletic Conference champion, winning the steeplechase in 2010 and the 4x800 relay in 2008.
Kear graduated from Point Loma with a bachelor's degree in biblical studies in 2010, and went on to earn his master's degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University (Irvine) in 2013.
