Coach Kenny Anderson joins Airey Bros Radio following a historic weekend for Central Methodist University Track & Field at the 2026 NAIA Outdoor National Championships.

Under Anderson's leadership, the CMU men finished 7th nationally with 10 All-Americans, while the women also earned a Top-10 national finish with 9 All-Americans. The conversation dives into national championship performances, athlete development, recruiting philosophy, faith-based leadership, and what it takes to build a nationally competitive program in the NAIA.

Coach Anderson shares his unique journey from electrical engineering and basketball coaching to becoming one of the most respected track & field coaches in the country. We discuss creating a family culture, developing overlooked athletes, handling the transfer portal era, and why student-athletes can thrive at smaller schools.

Whether you're a recruit, coach, parent, or track & field fan, this episode provides an inside look at one of the fastest-rising programs in the NAIA.

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Show Notes & Timestamps
0:00 Why Airey Bros Radio shines a light on NAIA, NCAA DII, DIII & NJCAA programs
1:00 Introduction of Coach Kenny Anderson & Central Methodist University
2:05 CMU's Top-10 finishes at the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Championships
3:20 Social media, recruiting and Coach "Cut The Check"
4:08 Kenny Anderson's coaching origin story
6:36 From hurdler to coach: favorite events to train
7:22 Recapping the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Championships
8:18 Women's 4x400 relay DQ and lessons learned
9:31 The rise of CMU's 800-meter program
10:31 School records and All-American performances
11:11 Handling pressure on the national stage
12:27 Coach accountability and leadership philosophy
13:44 Creating elite expectations regardless of division
14:25 Building for next season before nationals even end
15:12 Graduates, transfers, NIL and roster management
16:03 Developing athletes who move up to NCAA Division I
18:02 Recruiting athletes who want to stay four years
19:44 Central Methodist culture: Communication, Trust & Family
20:32 Faith, leadership and building relationships
22:16 Athlete-led accountability and team ownership
23:37 Why recruits choose Central Methodist University
25:20 Faith opportunities on campus and within the program
27:00 Watching student-athletes grow as people
28:46 Coaching at a faith-based institution
30:06 Popular academic majors at CMU
30:26 Marine Biology in the middle of Missouri?
32:20 Taking over the program and exceeding expectations
34:43 Three freshmen headed to the U20 Championships
35:29 Why U20 qualification is huge for the program
36:24 Recruiting athletes who want the small-school experience
38:22 Recruiting locally, nationally and internationally
40:00 Building international recruiting pipelines
41:48 Being a Director of Track & Field
42:34 Leadership, staff development and delegation
45:24 Managing budgets, travel and expense reports
46:04 Comparing NAIA National Championship venues
48:08 Coaching the 800 meters and training philosophy
49:44 What CMU looks for in recruits
51:11 Creating a memorable student-athlete experience
52:25 The Final Four Questions
53:15 Daily habits and morning routines
54:11 Music, playlists and New Orleans bounce mixes
55:09 Florida roots, seafood boils and playing saxophone
56:12 Kenny Anderson's guilty pleasure: Burger King
57:10 Closing thoughts and appreciation for NAIA coaches

Coach Dustin Dimit returns to Airey Bros Radio after leading Rowan University Men’s Track & Field to the 2026 NCAA Division III Indoor National Championship.

In Episode 458, we dive deep into Rowan’s historic national title run, the culture behind one of the top NCAA DIII track & field programs in the country, and what it takes to build a championship-caliber team year after year.

Coach Dimit breaks down the emotional rollercoaster of winning the NCAA title by ONE point, balancing team chemistry across every event group, recruiting high-level student-athletes, managing pressure at nationals, and transitioning from indoor success into another outdoor championship chase.

We also discuss:

• NCAA Division III Track & Field recruiting
• Building championship culture
• Coaching philosophy & leadership
• Team-first mentality
• All-Americans & national champions
• Managing athletes during finals week
• Indoor vs outdoor track season preparation
• Rowan Track & Field’s rise to national prominence
• Recruiting New Jersey & national talent
• The mental side of championship competition

Rowan finished the indoor season with:
🏆 NCAA DIII Indoor National Champions
🔥 17 All-Americans
🥇 Multiple Individual National Champions
📈 21 Conference Titles
💪 One of the deepest rosters in Division III Track & FieldWhether you’re a coach, athlete, recruit, parent, or fan of college track & field, this episode gives incredible insight into what separates good programs from national championship programs.

🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & all podcast platforms.
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Show Notes / Time Stamps
0:00 — Intro / Rowan Track & Field history & New Jersey track connections
1:06 — Airey Bros Radio opening & episode introduction
2:17 — Coach Dustin Dimit joins the show
3:31 — Rowan Track & Field recruiting & social media strategy
4:15 — Coach Dimit talks traveling through Japan & New Zealand
6:07 — Upcoming Laos trip & traveling internationally as a coach
7:53 — Coach Dimit’s origin story into track & field & coaching
10:32 — Growing up in Ohio near Mount Union
11:43 — Teaching while coaching & grinding toward full-time college coaching
13:12 — Advice for young coaches trying to break into college athletics
14:50 — Taking a lower-paying coaching job for long-term growth
17:28 — How athletic director experience helped him as a head coach
20:34 — Breaking down Rowan’s NCAA DIII Indoor National Championship
21:59 — The pressure and emotion of a one-point national title win
23:24 — Big performances that changed the team race
24:12 — Managing emotions during championship meets
26:36 — What finally pushed Rowan over the hump to win nationals
28:29 — The importance of depth in NCAA track & field
30:19 — Team culture, accountability & athlete leadership
32:01 — Transitioning from indoor season to outdoor track
34:42 — Rowan dominates the NJAC Championships
35:30 — Chasing another NCAA national title outdoors
36:35 — Preparing athletes physically & mentally for nationals
38:21 — Managing finals week & championship preparation simultaneously
41:08 — Competing at nationals on Wisconsin-La Crosse’s home track
43:50 — Last chance meets & qualifying drama
44:53 — Recruiting momentum after winning a national title
46:14 — Building elite training groups within event squads
46:44 — Internal competition & brotherhood on championship teams
48:04 — Friendly rivalries between teammates & event groups