Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Karen Dennis will retire after 20 seasons with the Buckeyes, the Ohio State athletic department announced Monday. Credit: Jacob Benge | Sports Editor
Over a career that spanned more than four decades, the most satisfying moment during Karen Dennis’ tenure at Ohio State came in May.
Dennis led the Buckeyes to become the first program since 1997 to earn Big Ten Outdoor Championships both for the men’s and women’s teams May 15. After the meet, she said she set up a chair as members of the Ohio State men’s and women’s track and field teams shared their excitement with one another.
“My professional dream was to have both our men and our women win together so that they could celebrate together,” Dennis said. “That’s probably one of the most satisfying moments in my entire career when I sat there and watched those kids for two hours on the track just celebrate together with their families, take pictures and just enjoy the moment with each other.”
Dennis said she’s thought about retirement over the last five years, but felt like now was the right time to commit to a decision. The athletic department announced Monday that Dennis will retire from coaching and will introduce the next head coach Wednesday, according to an Ohio State spokesperson.
The 12-time Big Ten Track and Field Coach of the Year earned as many conference championships, coaching 140 athletes to Big Ten titles and eight Olympians along the way. While achieving plenty of accomplishments and earning hardware, Dennis said she traversed the many seasons with help from her support staff, from academic oversight to athletic trainers to compliance.
“It’s all very rewarding to me to see not just my success because it doesn’t come solo. I’ve had an amazing group of coaches who have traveled this whole journey with me, who have struggled with me, who have fought with me,” Dennis said. “It’s just been a unified and a total effort on behalf of the entire athletic department here for me.”
Across her 45-year coaching career, Dennis experienced vast change in college athletics and sports overall.
When she got into her career, Dennis said she had a budget around $23,000 to use for travel and recruiting expenses. She said women athletes shared beds, traveled in vans instead of buses and waited for the men to leave the building before entering to practice.
Today, Dennis said living conditions have improved and there’s been “exponential increase” in salaries for women athletes. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Civil Rights.
Not only did Dennis say she wants to see continued change and improvement for athletic equity, but she hopes more opportunities arise for women who aspire to become a coach. She said she is grateful for Athletic Director Gene Smith’s support as she’s worked with the men’s and women’s teams at Ohio State.
“Some of the coaches that have reached out to me today, particularly some of the women, I’ve asked them to, just reminded them how important it is to have a sisterhood because what happens is there are a lot of men who will not hire women,” Dennis said. “I think right now that’s why I’m so appreciative to Gene for trusting me enough to be able to give me the directorship of this program because without that example, then there are other women who may not even think that that could happen. As a result of that, there are more women now who are directors of combined programs, and I think that’s important.”
Name, image and likeness is at the forefront of the changing landscape today, and while Dennis said it hasn’t impacted the Buckeyes’ track and field and cross country programs, she hopes interested organizations “won’t forget” about the women within Ohio State’s athletic programs when considering partnerships.
“I think they’re very deserving,” Dennis said. “I look at (senior thrower) Adelaide Aquila. I look at (graduate sprinter) Anavia Battle. Those women who have represented our country, they deserve stronger NIL opportunity. The game has changed, no question about it, and I think because the game has changed, I think leadership needs to change as well.”
Soon to turn over the reins of the program and embark on retirement, Dennis said she feels good about how she’s leaving the direction of Ohio State’s track and field and cross country teams.
Dennis said she was encouraged by the women who came before her to become a coach herself and a lot more went into her coaching beyond what is on her resume that made it all worthwhile.
“It’s not about how much money you make,” Dennis said. “It is about being passionate about what you do. It’s about being excellent at what you do. Money will come, but opportunities won’t come if you don’t make the most of them and work hard to be the best at it.”
