Corey McElhaney is entering his 20th season (2026-27) as the head cross country and track and field coach for the men and women’s programs. During his career McElhaney has coached more than 60 All-American's, three NCAA Individual National Champion awards, and one MIAA Hall of Fame inductee.
During the 2023-24 school year McElhaney earned the SBU Life Beautiful Award. This is given to a staff member annually for those that exemplify Christ-like behaviors with others, engages actively in their Church and community, continually strives to improve their quality of work, and demonstrates sincere willingness to serve others through their role at SBU. On the track, he led the women's track and field team to a 2nd place finish at the outdoor GLVC Championships. McElhaney's athletes won 3 out of the 4 Track Athlete of the Year awards during the 2024 indoor & outdoor season.
McElhaney has led the Bearcats to one GLVC Cross Country Championship, four MIAA Cross Country Team Championships and six NCAA National Cross Country Team Qualifications during his career. Following the 2018-19 season, the Women's XC and Track & Field team finished 12th place in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year standings. He has also been named MIAA Coach of the Year four times, including GLVC coach of the year in 2020. McElhaney was named the USTFCCCA Regional Coach of the Year after leading the women's cross country team to their first ever Regional Championship in 2015. Individually, McElhaney has coached 79 MIAA individual champions. McElhaney has led the women's cross country team to a top three finish in conference every year since SBU joined the GLVC. He has also coached three GLVC Freshmen of the Year, including the last two women's cross country athletes to win the award.
McElhaney's success has extended into recent years as well. During the 2024-25 track and field season, he coached SBU athletes to five top five finishes across indoor and outdoor at the NCAA National Championships, including the national champion in the outdoor 400-meter dash. McElhaney coached the same athlete to both the Indoor and Outdoor Regional Track Athlete of the Year. The women’s track and field team finished 11th in the nation that season.
In the 2025-26 track and field season, McElhaney led the Bearcats to a school record 10 athletes qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor National Championships and three top five national finishes across the indoor and outdoor seasons, including a third-place finish in the indoor 200-meter dash. The season was highlighted by SBU athletes receiving both the women’s GLVC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year award and men’s GLVC Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year award.
McElhaney's athletes have also had success in the classroom as his program has had 5 NCAA Elite 90 recipients during his career, an award handed out to the athlete with the highest GPA competing at NCAA Nationals, as well as 5 CoSIDA Academic All-American's, and 1 CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year. The Bearcats have also had 135 USTFCCCA Academic All-American's across cross country and track and field during his tenure. Also, the Women's XC Team tied for the highest team GPA in the nation in 2018-19.
McElhaney is a native of Elgin, Okla., where he graduated from Elgin High School. McElhaney then attended Coffeyville Community College, where he was a two-time All-American in the indoor 1000 meters and the outdoor 800 meters. McElhaney transferred to SBU and was a key member of the recruiting class that started the success of the cross country and track program. He was a five-time All-MIAA athlete at SBU.
McElhaney graduated in December 2006 with a Bachelor's of Science in Physical Education, while completing his Master of Education in 2013. McElhaney currently resides in Bolivar with his wife, Christine, their daughter, Carlee, and son, Casen.
