The Missouri Southern State University track and field program has a daunting task ahead — replacing associate head coach Brian Allen and six All-American throwers who are transferring to the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Allen, whose throwers garnered the bulk of the points in the Lions’ men’s and women’s third-place team finishes at the Division II outdoor championships this year, was named 2026 NCAA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year. Allen spent the last 12 years mentoring throwers at MSSU, including 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Rajindra Campbell.
Allen will be the new assistant throws coach at Arizona under head coach Andrew Dubs.
The 2009 runner-up in the shot put at Pittsburg State University, Allen also found success in the coaching ranks, coaching 12 NCAA national champions, 104 NCAA All-Americans and 51 conference champions while helping his athletes to 19 performances on the NCAA All-Time Top 25 list.
He is a three-time U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Assistant Coach of the Year and five-time USTFCCCA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year.
Dubs weighed in on the acquisition of Allen in a press release Wednesday.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Brian, his wife Sarah and their three children to Tucson,” Dubs said. “Coach Allen is one of the best throws coaches in the entire NCAA.”
Dubs also referenced the relationship Allen builds with his athletes.
“Beyond just coaching, it is evident to see the impact he has on his student-athletes in life. He is tremendous in fostering genuine relationships with those he coaches.”
Following Allen to Tucson are two of the top female javelin throwers nationally in DII, Adrianne Casey and Keilee Johnson; the DII women’s shot put national champion, Dailynn VanDeren; men’s DII national qualifier in the hammer throw and discus, Gabe Ford; men’s national qualifier in the discus, Jamale Williams; and Lamar High School product Tyson Williams, who competed for MSSU in the discus and hammer throw.
Casey, a Poplar Bluff junior, threw a personal best 172 feet, 11 inches to claim the national title in the javelin at the DII outdoor championships this past season. She finished second behind teammate Keilee Johnson at this year’s MIAA outdoor championships.
Johnson, a Bates City senior, finished fourth behind Casey at the DII outdoor championships this past season and threw a personal best 179 feet, 5 inches this year. She spent most of the outdoor season leading the nation in the event.
VanDeren, a Bolivar junior, was this year’s women’s national champion in the shot put and was a national qualifier in the hammer throw. She also was MIAA champion in the shot put and runner-up in the hammer throw. She set a new personal best in the shot put with a 56-foot, 10.75-inch toss.
Jamale Williams, a Leavenworth, Kansas, junior, was a national qualifier in the discus and had a personal best throw of 196 feet, 5 inches this year. He finished sixth at the national meet in that event in 2025. He also qualified for the 2025 national meet in the shot put and finished 14th. Williams also was the 2025 MIAA shot put champion (59 feet, 11 inches).
Ford, a redshirt junior from Tulsa, Oklahoma, had one of the top throws in the nation in the hammer throw this year with a personal best 213-foot, 4-inch toss that won the MIAA championship. He was a dual qualifier for the national meet in both the hammer and the discus. He did not compete in 2025, but in 2024 he finished fifth in the discus and sixth in the shot put at the national meet.
Tyson Williams, a Lamar redshirt sophomore, set a personal best 162 feet in the discus this season. In the 2025 indoor season, he finished fourth in the MIAA in the weight throw.
About the Author
