PHONE: (419) 783-2385

FAX: (419) 783-2369

EMAIL: mlydum@defiance.edu

Matt Lydum enters his eighth season as a track and field coach at Defiance College, where he works primarily with athletes on throwing, jumping and pole vaulting techniques. Lydum served three years as a head coach for the program before accepting a faculty position at DC in 2007 to focus on coaching education.

In 2011, Lydum was key in the team’s spectacular season in throwing events, as he helped in coaching Tom Postema to six HCAC Field Athlete of the Week honors, four HCAC championship event titles, numerous school and conference records, and a NCAA All-American honor in Discus. He also coached senior Katie Heitkamp to a new DC record in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault.

During his tenure at Defiance, Lydum has helped the Jackets produce 24 All-HCAC performers, nine NCAA provisional qualifiers and three All-Americans. In addition to his responsibilities at DC, Lydum is actively involved as a coordinator of the Instructor Training Courses for USA Track and Field, where he has been responsible for certifying hundreds of track and field coaches across the country. He was honored by USATF in 2010 with the Fred Wilt Award, recognizing his status as a national leader in coaching education.

Lydum’s accomplishments in coaching education also include serving on the USA coaching staff for the World Championships in Youth Athletics and as a United States Olympic Committee delegate to the International Olympic Academy. He is also the project writer for a book titled "Coaching Youth Track & Field" that was published by Human Kinetics in 2008.