Aaron Kindt joined the Auburn track and field program in August 2021 and serves as the Tigers’ cross country and distance coach.
During his tenure, Kindt’s runners have produced three All-America honors, one SEC champion, seven school records, six NCAA qualifiers, three SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year honors and a conference freshman runner of the year.
The 2024 cross country season saw a program first as three runners qualified for the NCAA Championships, then most individual qualifiers ever at the national meet for Auburn. Senior Ryan Kinnane made his second appearance while freshman Nickson Chebii and Brenda Jepchirchir made their first appearance. Jepchirchir, who was named the SEC Freshman Runner of the Year, also earned All-America honors after finishing 21st at nationals.
During the 2024 indoor season, Kinnane broke a 42-year-old school record in the mile, running 3:58.28 marking just the second sub four-minute mile in Auburn history. Kinnane was also a part of the distance medley relay team that set a school mark that had previously stood since 2009.
Last year also saw two talented freshmen, Max Hardin and Camila Gomes, break Auburn freshman indoor marks in the mile, while Hardin, who was the SEC silver medalist outdoors at 1500m, set the men’s freshman outdoor in the event earlier in the season.
In his first year at Auburn, Kindt coached Joyce Kimeli to her first SEC Outdoor title as she won the 3000m Steeplechase, the first in program history. Along with Presley Weems, the two combined for a pair of All-America honors outdoors. Weems broke three school records in 2022, setting Auburn marks indoors and outdoors at 800m along with the indoor mile.
Kindt’s cross country teams have produced five All-SEC honors and six freshman All-SEC accolades, while the 2023 men’s team finished fifth at the SEC Championships, the team’s best result in nearly a decade.
Academically, Kinnane earned SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year recognition three times during his Auburn career, the most ever by a single athlete in Auburn track and field history.
Prior to his appointment at Auburn, he had been promoted to associate head coach for track and field at Southern Miss in July 2021.
Under his direction, Kindt led the USM women's program to a pair of runner-up finishes at the Conference USA cross country championships in 2017 and 2019, while his distance program was instrumental in the program's first-ever Women's Indoor Conference USA Championship in 2020. The Golden Eagles' distance medley relay won the 2020 CUSA title, the first indoor distance conference championship in program history.
In seven seasons overseeing the women's distance program, between cross country and indoor and outdoor seasons, Kindt coached six first team all-conference performers along with 17 second team selections and 17 that were named to the third team. Academically, each of his cross country teams were USTFCCCA All-Academic Team recipients.
Prior to Southern Miss, Kindt served as assistant coach at the University of North Florida for two years. While at UNF, Kindt helped with the development of the women's A-Sun cross country runner up in 2012 and distance medley indoor relay champion in 2014 while assisting with the men's third-place finish at the 2013 A-Sun Indoor Track Championship.
Kindt began his career at the University of Florida, serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the cross country and track programs from 2010-12. Kindt assisted with the training and development of the distance athletes.
The Orlando, Florida, native graduated from the University of Florida in 2010. Kindt was a four-year letter-winner with the cross country and track and field programs at Florida running a wide range of distance events, including the 10,000m, 5000m, 3000m and 1500m.