UPIKE Athletics

Anthony Kowalczyk, a two-sport collegiate athlete, has been selected to lead the University of Pikeville cross country and track and field programs as director and head coach, beginning his tenure in August 2025.
 
Kowalczyk came to UPike with nearly 10 years of college coaching experience, including at his alma mater, Saint Xavier University in Chicago, where he began coaching in 2018. He joined the staff as a student coach and graduate assistant of both football and track and field. In June 2020, he was promoted to the assistant cross country/track and field coach and recruiting coordinator. 

An SXU graduate, he joined the coaching staff in 2020 where he took the lead in recruiting and worked primarily with the throws group while also assisting in multis and cross country. During his time at SXU, he recruited over 150 athletes, including 30 national qualifiers, 1 National Champion, 8 All-Americans, 30 school record holders, and 70+ All-CCAC honorees in all events.

His athletes broke every throws-related school record since 2023, highlighted by coaching 2025 NAIA Discus National Champion, Ayobami Arokoyo, along with multiple national qualifiers and All-Americans in the discus, hammer, and weight throw. Arokoyo also earn most outstanding outdoor field athletes of the year in the CCAC 3 years in a row.
 
Prior to that, he spent 18 months as assistant track and field coach at Chicago’s Steinmetz College Prep.
 
As an undergraduate, Kowalczyk played both football and track and field at Saint Xavier, where he was a captain of both teams in 2018. He was an all-conference thrower in both indoor and outdoor as a senior.
 
As the assistant coach at Saint Xavier, he was actively involved in in coaching and training all men’s and women’s throws as well as assisting with multis and cross country.
 
Additionally, he was heavily involved in recruiting, making offers and signing student-athletes both domestically and internationally.
 
Kowalczyk earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in management and marketing, as well as a master of business administration in digital marketing, both from Saint Xavier.
 
He was an NAIA Scholar-Athlete in both sports. He has parlayed that success into his coaching career, as the team GPA has remained over 3.1/4.0 since 2020, earning USTFCCAA All-Academic Team Honor each season. 

Raised in Chicago, Ill., Kowalczyk now resides in Pikeville with his Fiancé, Yasmine and their dog, Tito.