Keith Blackwill joined NMJC as track/cross country head coach in June 2005. He is a 1994 graduate of Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. Blackwill began his coaching career serving as an assistant at Dodge City Community College for two years. He also was an assistant coach at Odessa College for one year before becoming the head coach at Allen County Community College in Iola, Kansas. After a year there, he returned to Odessa College as head coach for a two-year tenure, during which he was nominated for 2002 coach of the year at the National Indoor/Outdoor Meet. His team placed fifth in the nation. In the two years he served as assistant coach at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas, he helped coach his teams to seven indoor/outdoor track national titles and one cross country national title. He also coached 139 NJCAA All-Americans and 49 NJCAA national champions.
Jeff Becker is starting his first year with the New Mexico Junior College Cross Country/Track and Field program. His primary duties will be with the Cross Country program and with the distance and mid-distance runners in Track. Along with his coaching duties, Becker will teach classes in the Physical Education Department at NMJC.
Becker received his education from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas he received a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education (1999) and a Master’s degree in exercise science (2001). Becker is also a USATF Level 1 certified coach.
Becker started his coaching career as a student assistant coach at FHSU while working on his Master’s degree. After graduating he took an assistant coaching job at Highland Community College (KS) for one year. After his year at HCC he took the head coaching job at Colby Community College (KS), a position he held for the last five years. At CCC Becker coached 24 NJCAA All-Americans and 6 NJCAA National Champions. Becker also coached the current NJCAA meet record holder in the Women’s 10000m run. Along with the individual success, Becker’s teams also achieved success. His teams have finished as the NJCAA academic teams of the year six times and his 2007 Women’s Indoor Track and Field team finished 7th at the NJCAA meet.