Kent State Adds Lucas Hofer to Track and Field/Cross Country Coaching Staff
6/29/2026 10:38:00 AM | Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
KENT, Ohio — Kent State Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Nathan Fanger has announced the addition of Lucas Hofer to the coaching staff. Hofer, who will lead the cross country teams and train mid-distance/distance track and field student-athletes, spent the past three years on staff at Wake Forest.
"I'm excited to have Lucas Hofer join our Kent State Track and Field staff," Fanger said. "His calm and chill demeanor will ground the distance crew and help create a welcoming but competitive environment. His time at Wake Forest has prepared him to step into this lead role, and I am looking forward to working side-by-side with him."
Hofer assisted with the development and implementation of training programs for distance runners while on staff with the Demon Deacons. The men's team qualified for the NCAA Cross Country Championships in all three of his years on staff, highlighted by a seventh place finish in 2024. The women ended a 19-year NCAA Championships drought last fall and placed in the top five at the NCAA Southeast Regional all three seasons.
He also coached a pair of men's 400-meter runners who posted top 10 times in program history during his time in Winston-Salem.
Hofer was a six-time All-Summit League performer over five years (2019-23) as a student-athlete at Western Illinois. He is a program record holder in two relay events and was a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee team representative. His college career began at Dubuque, where he competed during the 2018 indoor season.
A two-time graduate of Western Illinois University, Hofer earned a B.S. in Agriculture in 2021 and a master of science in Sports Management in 2023.
FOLLOW KENT STATE CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK AND FIELD
For complete coverage of Kent State Cross Country/Track and Field, download the official Kent State Golden Flashes app (iOS, Android) and follow the Golden Flashes on social media on X, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates.
