Kyle Hierholzer is in his seventh year at Kansas State after joining the coaching staff during the summer of 2006. After working with the sprints, jumps, combined events and pole vault disciplines, this year Hierholzer will focus on pole vault and will be writing the training material for the event as well. Last season, he coached Kyle Wait to the first outdoor pole vault conference championship in men's history for K-State. It was the first men's pole vault title overall since 1981.
In Hierholzer's first season with the Wildcats he assisted head coach Cliff Rovelto with the jumps and combined events, including helping then-sophomore Adam Fretwell to a national qualification in the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Hierholzer began coaching the pole vaulters in 2008 and guided Nancy Harrington to increase her personal best mark by more than seven inches. Senior Bryce Bergman qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regional along with Harrington. Hierholzer also helped combined events specialist Moritz Cleve improve greatly in the pole vault helping contribute to his then Big 12 Championship record score in the decathlon in 2009 and in winning the Big 12 heptathlon crown during indoor. His assistance with the combined events has helped the Wildcats have multiple athletes score at the Big 12 Championships and see All-American performances from Cleve and Mantas Silkauskas.
Hierholzer came to Manhattan after one season at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, as the assistant track and field/cross country coach. While at South Plains, Hierholzer coached all jumps and combined events. He coached a 2006 U.S. Junior champion in the men's long jump and 2006 World Junior finalist Aaron Smith in the long jump to finish fifth. He also coached NJCAA National Champions in the men's long jump and pole vault and women's triple jump and coached nine NJCAA All-Americans.
Prior to his stint at South Plains College, Hierholzer was a graduate assistant at Texas State University from 2003-05 and earned a master's degree in political science with a minor in international business. While earning his advanced degree, Hierholzer assisted the Bobcats to four Southland Conference titles and supervised the vertical jumps and combined events. He coached four Southland Conference champions in the high jump and a school record holder in the men's indoor heptathlon. He also coached Caroline Wolf to NCAA All-American status with a high jump of 6-00.25 finishing fifth at the NCAA Championship and setting a Texas State school record.
During his time as a student-athlete for the Bobcats from 1998-2003, he earned bachelor's degrees in finance and marketing. On the track, Hierholzer competed in the decathlon and hurdles and helped the Bobcats to four straight Southland Conference titles.
A native of Boerne, Texas, Hierholzer holds a Level II certification in jumps from the USATF and recently attented the Junior Elite Decathlon Camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., to assist with coaching.
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