Hattiesburg, Miss.- Crusader Director of Athletics Tracy English has announced the hiring of Jonina Brinson as the new Head Coach of Men's and Women's Track and Field. Brinson arrives at Carey after serving as the Assistant Coach at Eastern Washington University, a role she has served in since 2021.
 
Brinson is no stranger to the Southern States Athletic Conference. Collegiately, Brinson was a standout athlete at the University of Mobile and Bethune Cookman University. She was a 10-time NAIA All-American and a 2-time NAIA National Champion in the long jump while at Mobile. In 2016, she was the SSAC Track Athlete of the Year and followed that up as the 2017 SSAC Track and Field Athlete of the Year. During her years in the SSAC, Brinson set 11 school records in indoor and outdoor events at Mobile. In 2018, Brinson transferred to Bethune Cookman in Daytona Beach, Florida and was named the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference Field Athlete of the Year along with being an NCAA qualifier for nationals.
 
"We're very happy that Coach Jo will be leading our track and field program," said William Carey Director of Athletics Tracy English. "She is a former SSAC champion, a two-time NAIA national champion in the long jump, and a multiple-time NAIA All-American. As a coach, she has built a reputation as an outstanding recruiter and as someone who develops athletes both on the track and in the classroom. Coach Jo will be a great leader and will create a culture of excellence that reflects the values of William Carey University. We are excited to welcome her to the Crusader family."
 
Upon completion of her track career, Brinson stayed on at Bethune Cookman as a graduate assistant. Her first full-time position came at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa where she served as an assistant then later the head coach. In each of her two seasons at Buena Vista, she led the women's outdoor track and field team to its highest point total at the American Rivers Conference Championships. The 2022 indoor team posted its highest finish since 2013. During her tenure, Buena Vista produced 18 all-conference performances, including four conference champions, and four All-American finishes. In 2021-22, Brinson coached 17 men to BVU's all-time top ten list along with 22 women and three Midwest All-Region athletes. Brinson coached a pair of individual conference champions in 2020-21 along with one national qualifier. In October 2021, Brinson joined the staff at Eastern Washington as an assistant. During her time at EWU, she coached five individual conference champions and over fourteen athletes that secured top ten finishes.
 
"I am honored and excited to join William Carey University as the Head Track & Field and Cross Country Coach," says Brinson. "Having previously competed in the SSAC as a student-athlete, I am excited to return to a conference that played such an important role in my journey and to now have the opportunity to lead and compete for championships at William Carey."
 
Brinson will take over one of the top Track and Field programs in the NAIA. Departing Head Coach, Ryan McKenzie, accepted the Head Coaching role at his alma mater, Alcorn State University earlier this month. McKenzie spent over ten years at WCU, helping build the program into a perennial national power that includes multiple individual national champions and an NAIA Men's Indoor National Championship in 2020.
 
"I would like to thank Athletic Director English and the administration for their trust and confidence in me to lead this program," says Brinson. "I also want to thank Coach Ryan McKenzie for the tremendous job he has done building this program. He has established a strong foundation, and I look forward to continuing that growth while helping our student-athletes compete for conference and national success. My family and I are excited to join the Carey community and get to work."