Former NCAA Academic All-American and All-Conference performer Jeff Klaves became UNCW's Head Track & Field/Cross Country Coach on Feb. 10, 2020.
A native of West Allis, Wisc., Klaves spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Campbell, working with the throws, multis and pole vault, as well as the distance runners before arriving on the coast. He previously served on the staffs at East Tennessee State and Florida Gulf Coast.
Klaves, who holds certifications through USATF Level II and USTFCCAA for Throws, Multis and Jumps, competed collegiately at Campbell and was a four-year letter-winner for the Camels, earning All-Atlantic Sun honors on two occasions
At Campbell, Klaves took the men’s and women’s throws programs to new heights. He coached three conference champions and eight All-Conference performers, and his student-athletes broke eight school records with two conference records. He had student-athletes appear at the NCAA championships and on the international stage.
One of Klaves’ standouts, sophomore Patience Marshall, enjoyed an outstanding year in 2018-19, becoming one of the most decorated throwers in Big South Conference history. She won two conference titles in the shot put and discus and her mark of 164-8.75 in the discus qualified Marshall for the preliminary round of the NCAA Championships. Marshall went on to compete at the USATF U20 Nationals and became a national champion in the shot put with a throw of 52-8. Marshall’s win earned her a spot on the national team to represent the USA at the 2019 U20 Pan American games, where she won the bronze medal with a third place finish.
Klaves began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at ETSU under legendary head coach David Walker. He worked primarily with ETSU's men's and women's distance runners and helped to lead the Buccaneer squad that won the A-Sun outdoor track & field title in 2012. One of his student-athletes, Anja Claussnitzer, qualified for the 2012 NCAA outdoor track & field regionals in the women's 800m.
Klaves continued to climb the coaching ladder at Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Myers, Fla. He worked as an assistant cross country coach with the Eagles, he helped guide the men's cross team to its best finish at the conference championships in program history. The Eagles also earned their first-ever South Regional ranking in the USTFCCCA polls and had a student-athlete named to the NCAA All-South Region Team. On the women's side, FGCU notched four top-five finishes on the year and sent a pair of runners to regionals.
In addition, Klaves has extensive administrative experience. He spent four years as the athletic director and track & field/cross country coach at Hobbton High School in Newton Grove, N.C., from 2013-17. Klaves started Hobbton's track program and led the Wildcats to 11 Carolina 1A Conference championships, four county championships, including 36 state medalists and nine state champions across six different events (shot put, discus, pole vault, 100m, 200m and indoor 300m). He was named Coach of the Year 13 times and had eight student-athletes who earned Division I or Division II scholarships.
Klaves graduated from Campbell with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics in 2010. He completed his Master’s Degree in Sport Management at ETSU in 2012.
