Ryun Godfrey

Ryun Godfrey served as the head cross country coach and assistant coach for the track and field program during the 2023-24 seasons. 

Godfrey coached the cross country team to some of their best finishes in 12 years in 2023. During his first cross country season with Nebraska, the women tied their best finish at the Big Ten Championships, taking seventh. That marked the top team placement since 2011, the year Nebraska joined the Big Ten. The women added a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional, their best regional finish since 2011. In each of the 2023 meets, a freshman crossed the line first for the Huskers. 

In his first track and field season with Nebraska, Berlyn Schutz broke the mile school record as a freshman, headling six all-time marks. In the 5,000m, Brynna McQuillen moved to No. 2 (16:13.75) on the all-time list, while pitching in the sixth-best 3,000m time (9:26.46) in school history. Ali Bainbridge ran the sixth-best 10,000m time (34:27.09) and the eighth-best 5,000m time (16:29.35). Taya Skelton claimed bronze in the 3,0000m steeplechase at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships with a 10:23.11 and Schutz ran to a third-place finish in the mile at the Big Ten Indoor Championships. On the men's side, Niko Schultz clocked the second-fastest indoor 800m time (1:47.75), fifth-fastest indoor 600m time (1:17.72) and sixth-fastest outdoor 800m time (1:47.40) in school history. He finished sixth in the 800m final at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.

 

With the Huskers, Godfrey helped Niko Schultz and Sam Easley place in the 800m at the Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championships, respectively. Schultz reached the all-time top 10 charts at Nebraska in two indoor events in 2023, climbing to fifth in the 800m and sixth in the 600m.

Prior to Nebraska, Godfrey had coaching stints at Arizona State, Kansas State and North Dakota State.

The 28-time Conference Coach of the Year selection and six-time DII Region Coach of the Year honoree was twice named Midwest Region Coach of the Year, while also receiving DII Coach of the Year and North Dakota Sports Writers/Sportscaster Coach of the Year recognition.

Godfrey has coached four athletes who have qualified for the USA Championships and Olympic Trials, including two finalists. On the world level, he was helped two collegiate athletes to World/Olympic standards in the 800m.

On the collegiate level, Godfrey has coached a DI runner-up (800m), a DII champion (400m Hurdles and 800m), two DII 4x400m relay champions, 12 DI All-Americans and 16 DII All-Americans. At the conference championships, he has coached three Big 12 champions, 11 Summit League champions and 11 North Central Conference champions.

Prior to Nebraska and Arizona State, Godfrey spent eight seasons coaching at Kansas State, helping the Wildcats to two Big 12 Championships in 2017 and 2018. He coached the Wildcats to five school records and helped three K-State runners earn All-Big 12 honors in cross country, two athletes earned Midwest All-Region honors and a pair of qualifiers for the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Before his time at K-State, Godfrey was the head track and field/cross country coach at North Dakota State for 15 years, helping the Bison set 24 school records. NDSU won the DII Indoor Championships in 2002 and finished in the top-four in 10 seasons as a team at the NCAA Championships.

Godfrey’s guidance led NDSU to 30 conference championship titles, including 13 indoor titles, 13 outdoor titles and four titles in cross country.

Godfrey is a 1996 graduate of NDSU where he ran for four years before holding a one-year graduate assistant position. He earned all-conference honors and was a member of seven NDSU league champion squads. He has a bachelor’s in physical education, has USATF Level II certification in three different areas (endurance, sprints hurdles & relay and jumps) and is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

 

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