Home coaches KYLE TELLEZ
Questions? Call us! 1-800-645-3226

Coach Profile

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH

KYLE TELLEZ

TELLEZ

Kyle Tellez begins his 30th season with the University of Houston coaching student-athletes in the high jump, pole vault, javelin and multi events. Tellez was elevated to Associate Head Coach in the summer of 2022 by Director of Track and Field Will Blackburn.

The 2019-20 season saw the emergence of a strong group of Houston pole vaulters, anchored by the addition of Antonio Ruiz. Ruiz easily bypassed the program record in the indoor pole vault, qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the event.

For the first time since the 2007 season, a Houston pole vaulter was named the conference champion in the event. Ben Percefull and Antonio Ruiz closed out the 2020 American Athletic Conference ITF Championships with first and second-place finishes in the event, as the Cougars secured four of the top-five finishes in the event.

Tellez welcome freshman Nathaniel Mechler to Houston in the 2017-18 season, and the Canadian did not disappoint. Mechler claimed the indoor championships in the heptathlon in just his first season on campus, and after a remarkable second day of the decathlon in the outdoor championships, Mechler took home the silver medal in just his second collegiate decathlon.

Tellez helped coach sophomore Jack Thomas to the NCAA West Outdoor Regional in the javelin in 2015. Thomas finished with a career best mark of 69.03m and was the 17th best javelin thrower in the NCAA West Region.

The 2012-13 season was a very successful one for the special events athletes under Coach Tellez. The group ended the season with 12 medalists and five first-place finishes at the Conference USA Championships. Karley King finished first in pole vault at both the indoor and outdoor championships, Megan Frausto topped the competition in the pentathlon, John Horton jumped for first place in triple jump, and Thomas Lang not only placed first in triple jump during the outdoor season, but was an NCAA Qualifier as well.

Under Tellez’ tutelage, a strikingly large number of athletes have achieved high honors in their respective fields. In just the last few years as coach of the multi-events athletes, Tellez helped guide Wesley Bray to a gold medal at the C-USA Outdoor Championships in the decathlon, qualify for the NCAA Championship and break the school record in the heptathlon all within the 2011 indoor season. Tellez also coached Alex Bentley to an NCAA qualifier in pole vault during the 2011 outdoor season.

Since he began coaching Houston’s jumpers, pole vaulters and multi-athletes, Tellez has produced two-time NCAA long jump champion Jenny Adams and an outstanding seven All-Americans including Krystal Ward, Rhian Clarke, Nick Decker, Ifoma Jones, John Davis, Nathan Labus, and Edwina Ammonds. Adams concluded her collegiate career as the 2000 NCAA outdoor long jump champion and 2001 NCAA indoor long jump champion.

Ward began her career with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships and won the pentathlon and heptathlon at the C-USA Championships twice in the same year. Clarke had a fifth-place finish in the pole vault at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships after finishing in fourth place at the 2001 NCAA indoor meet, and seventh at the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Decker had a sixth-place finish in the high jump at the 2000 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Tellez also coached Jones, a four-time All-American, to a fourth place finish in the heptathlon and in seventh place finishes in the high jump at the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Tellez has tutored several C-USA men’s champions, as well as several athletes who earned the title C-USA Athlete of the Year. Tellez has coached a variety of champions in a variety of fields. Towards the beginning of his career, he coached a trio of C-USA women’s champion throwers, in addition to the league’s first pole vault champion, Denise Darre. In 2000, Tellez led Ron Veillon to his third straight C-USA indoor heptathlon championship and later to be the 2003 C-USA decathlon champion.

Before Houston began competing in Conference USA in 1997, Tellez also tutored four Southwest Conference champions.

Tellez attended the University of Houston and ran for the cross country and track teams in 1984-85. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Houston.

Kyle Tellez was born on June 5, 1966, in Fullerton, California. Tellez has two children, son TK and daughter Annie. He is the son of Houston’s Hall of Fame head coach Tom Tellez.

Find a camp near you:

Select your sport and get into camp!
If you need more assistance, just give us a call
at 1-800-645-3226 we would be happy to help!

close