Michael Guinn II enters his fourth season at West Liberty University in 2026-27 and his second full season as head coach of the Hilltoppers' men's and women's cross country programs while continuing to serve as the program's assistant track & field coach overseeing the distance events.
Guinn was named head cross country coach following the 2025 season after serving as the program's interim head coach. In his first season at the helm, he guided both Hilltopper programs to successful campaigns highlighted by strong performances at the Mountain East Conference and NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships.
The West Liberty men's team placed fifth at the Mountain East Conference Championships before finishing eighth among 22 teams at the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championships. Under Guinn's leadership, senior Robert "Mack" Allen earned Second Team All-Mountain East Conference honors before capping his career with USTFCCCA All-Atlantic Region recognition following a 16th-place finish at the regional championships. Seniors Jasper Brown and Francis Toohey also closed out their careers with personal-best performances at the regional meet, while Zachary Workman and freshmen Michael Niggemyer, Shepherd Richey, Finlay Lorimer and Landen Davis gained valuable championship experience.
On the women's side, the Hilltoppers placed eighth at the Mountain East Conference Championships before closing the season with a strong performance at the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships. Junior Lacey Dimit led the team throughout the season, finishing 26th at the conference championships before posting a season-best time at the regional meet. The future of the program was on full display as freshmen Katie Rutherford, Naomi Young, Lexi Wynn, Gretchen House, and Kenzie Upole all competed at the regional championships, with Rutherford, Young, House, and senior Ally Hicks each recording personal-best performances to conclude the season.
Guinn joined the Hilltopper coaching staff in the fall of 2023 following more than a decade as the head cross country coach and assistant track & field coach at Bethany College from 2011-22. During his tenure with the Bison, he developed training programs for sprinters, middle-distance and distance runners while overseeing recruiting and administrative responsibilities. He coached a pair of Presidents' Athletic Conference indoor champions and helped develop two NCAA Division III All-American long jumpers, including a three-time All-American.
Prior to Bethany, Guinn spent two seasons (2008-10) as assistant track & field and cross country coach at Seton Hill University, where he helped guide the Griffons from a fourth-place finish in the WVIAC standings to the 2009 WVIAC men's cross country championship.
Guinn began his collegiate coaching career at West Virginia Wesleyan College, serving as associate head coach for track & field and cross country from 2004-08. During his tenure, the Bobcats captured 11 WVIAC team championships, including four women's cross country titles, four women's track & field championships, two men's track & field championships and one men's cross country championship.
A standout collegiate runner, Guinn competed at Alderson Broaddus (1999-01) and the University of Charleston (2002-03). He earned three All-WVIAC cross country selections at Alderson Broaddus and led the Battlers to the 2001 WVIAC Cross Country Championship, winning the individual conference title and qualifying for the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. After transferring to Charleston, he captured back-to-back WVIAC 10,000-meter championships in 2002 and 2003 while earning NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks. Guinn remains the only runner in WVIAC history to earn All-Region honors four times during his collegiate career.
Guinn earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a minor in Business from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 2008.
He and his wife, Mallory, reside in Follansbee, W.Va., with their two daughters, Caroline and Priscilla.
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