University of North Carolina Athletics
Kia Id-Deen Named Assistant Coach For UNC Track & Field
September 24, 2018 | Track & Field
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The University of North Carolina track & field program announced Thursday that Kia Id-Deen, a volunteer assistant coach during the 2018 season, will join the full-time coaching staff as an assistant coach. In her new role, Id-Deen will oversee short sprints and hurdles for both the men's and women's teams.
"I'm excited Coach Id-Deen has joined the staff," UNC head coach Harlis Meaders said. "It was a national search and her wealth of knowledge was a true asset to our program. She's been around the kids for a year as a volunteer last year. She has brought so many things to our coaching staff not only additional expertise in the sports, but also relationships with the kids and recruiting advantages. She's just a tremendous asset and I'm excited that she's accepted the position to officially join our staff in a full-time capacity."
Last season, Kia Id-Deen (formerly Kia Davis) assisted with the development of all sprinters and hurdlers, making a huge impact on the Carolina record books. Cierra Dunston, McKinley McNeill, Dontavian Smith and Kenny Selmon all qualified for at least one ACC Indoor Championship final and each earned a spot among the top-five all-time marks at UNC. Brianna Duncan broke the school record in the 60-meter, clocking in at 7.29, before setting two more Carolina records in the outdoor season — 100-meter with a time of 11.27 and 200-meter in 23.03. Both the men's and women's outdoor 4x100 relays also ran times that rank in the top-five in the history of Carolina track & field and a number of athletes qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round. Most notably, Id-Deen helped train Kenny Selmon who went on to claim the NCAA runner-up title in the 400-meter hurdles after clocking in a new school record time of 48.12 at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
"I'm excited to join the UNC family," Id-Deen said. "Since I was here last year as a volunteer coach, it's going to be a smooth transition to keep moving forward with Coach Meaders' vision for the program. I want to thank Coach Meaders for this amazing opportunity to join his staff."
Id-Deen found much coaching success at the collegiate and high school levels prior to coming to Carolina. She was the head boys and girls coach at Farragut High School in Farragut, Tenn., from 2015-17 and she spent the 2014 season at George Mason University as an assistant coach for sprints and hurdles with the Patriots. At George Mason, Id-Deen led student-athletes to personal bests and A-10 honors on the way to helping both the men and women to Atlantic-10 outdoor titles. She also coached the men's 4x100 to a conference championship.
From 2010-14, Id-Deen was the assistant head coach for sprints and hurdles with the Pittsburgh Panthers. Under her counsel, Id-Deen led Panthers to Big East titles in the 200, 100 and 4x100 and helped Pittsburgh send two individuals to national championship meets. Id-Deen also guided the women's 4x100 to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2014, and helped the men's team win that same relay at the Big East Championships for the first time in 10 years. In her first season with the Panthers, Id-Deen guided the women's 4x100 team to a Big East record and NCAA Honorable Mention accolades.
Other highlights from her time with the Panthers include coaching Joshua Thompson to a spot on the 2012 USA World Junior Team after claiming a silver medal at the USA Junior Championships in the 110-meter hurdles as well as leading Cambrya Jones to three school records (indoor 200, 100, 200), second-team All-America honors, two Big East titles (100, 200), Big East Most Valuable Athlete honors and a spot on the USA NACAC U-23 team.
From 2007-09, Id-Deen was an assistant coach at Bethune-Cookman University where she helped produce numerous conference champions, NCAA Regional qualifiers, All-Americas and the first-ever NCAA Championships appearance for the BCU women.
A 2002 graduate of St. Augustine's College, Id-Deen was exceptional in sprints and hurdles. She won six NCAA Division II National Championships, claiming the 55-meter hurdles at the Indoor Championships and added top finishes in the 100-meter hurdles and the 200 at the Outdoor Championships. Id-Deen was also CIAA Conference Champion in both the 55-meter hurdles and the 200.
Id-Deen represented Liberia in the 2008 Olympic Games, competing in the 200 and 400. She was also a semifinalist at the 2008 World Indoor Championships in the 60-meter hurdles and a silver medalist at the 2006 World Indoor Championships with the USA 4x400 squad.
She is the Liberian record holder in the 200, 400 and 60-meter hurdles and she once held records in the 60, 100 and 100-meter hurdles.
A native of Chester, Pa., Id-Deen is the wife of UNC's Coordinator of Sprints, Hurdles and Relays Abigi Id-Deen. She was inducted into the NCAA Division II Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Chester High School Hall of Fame in 2004.
"I'm excited Coach Id-Deen has joined the staff," UNC head coach Harlis Meaders said. "It was a national search and her wealth of knowledge was a true asset to our program. She's been around the kids for a year as a volunteer last year. She has brought so many things to our coaching staff not only additional expertise in the sports, but also relationships with the kids and recruiting advantages. She's just a tremendous asset and I'm excited that she's accepted the position to officially join our staff in a full-time capacity."
Last season, Kia Id-Deen (formerly Kia Davis) assisted with the development of all sprinters and hurdlers, making a huge impact on the Carolina record books. Cierra Dunston, McKinley McNeill, Dontavian Smith and Kenny Selmon all qualified for at least one ACC Indoor Championship final and each earned a spot among the top-five all-time marks at UNC. Brianna Duncan broke the school record in the 60-meter, clocking in at 7.29, before setting two more Carolina records in the outdoor season — 100-meter with a time of 11.27 and 200-meter in 23.03. Both the men's and women's outdoor 4x100 relays also ran times that rank in the top-five in the history of Carolina track & field and a number of athletes qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round. Most notably, Id-Deen helped train Kenny Selmon who went on to claim the NCAA runner-up title in the 400-meter hurdles after clocking in a new school record time of 48.12 at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
"I'm excited to join the UNC family," Id-Deen said. "Since I was here last year as a volunteer coach, it's going to be a smooth transition to keep moving forward with Coach Meaders' vision for the program. I want to thank Coach Meaders for this amazing opportunity to join his staff."
Id-Deen found much coaching success at the collegiate and high school levels prior to coming to Carolina. She was the head boys and girls coach at Farragut High School in Farragut, Tenn., from 2015-17 and she spent the 2014 season at George Mason University as an assistant coach for sprints and hurdles with the Patriots. At George Mason, Id-Deen led student-athletes to personal bests and A-10 honors on the way to helping both the men and women to Atlantic-10 outdoor titles. She also coached the men's 4x100 to a conference championship.
From 2010-14, Id-Deen was the assistant head coach for sprints and hurdles with the Pittsburgh Panthers. Under her counsel, Id-Deen led Panthers to Big East titles in the 200, 100 and 4x100 and helped Pittsburgh send two individuals to national championship meets. Id-Deen also guided the women's 4x100 to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2014, and helped the men's team win that same relay at the Big East Championships for the first time in 10 years. In her first season with the Panthers, Id-Deen guided the women's 4x100 team to a Big East record and NCAA Honorable Mention accolades.
Other highlights from her time with the Panthers include coaching Joshua Thompson to a spot on the 2012 USA World Junior Team after claiming a silver medal at the USA Junior Championships in the 110-meter hurdles as well as leading Cambrya Jones to three school records (indoor 200, 100, 200), second-team All-America honors, two Big East titles (100, 200), Big East Most Valuable Athlete honors and a spot on the USA NACAC U-23 team.
From 2007-09, Id-Deen was an assistant coach at Bethune-Cookman University where she helped produce numerous conference champions, NCAA Regional qualifiers, All-Americas and the first-ever NCAA Championships appearance for the BCU women.
A 2002 graduate of St. Augustine's College, Id-Deen was exceptional in sprints and hurdles. She won six NCAA Division II National Championships, claiming the 55-meter hurdles at the Indoor Championships and added top finishes in the 100-meter hurdles and the 200 at the Outdoor Championships. Id-Deen was also CIAA Conference Champion in both the 55-meter hurdles and the 200.
Id-Deen represented Liberia in the 2008 Olympic Games, competing in the 200 and 400. She was also a semifinalist at the 2008 World Indoor Championships in the 60-meter hurdles and a silver medalist at the 2006 World Indoor Championships with the USA 4x400 squad.
She is the Liberian record holder in the 200, 400 and 60-meter hurdles and she once held records in the 60, 100 and 100-meter hurdles.
A native of Chester, Pa., Id-Deen is the wife of UNC's Coordinator of Sprints, Hurdles and Relays Abigi Id-Deen. She was inducted into the NCAA Division II Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Chester High School Hall of Fame in 2004.
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