UIS Athletics has officially named Emmons King the head coach of the Prairie Stars cross country and track & field program, removing the interim title he has held since fall 2022. King joined the UIS coaching staff as an assistant in 2021 and has led the program as interim head coach for the past three years.

During that time, the men's cross country team continued its run of top-four finishes at the GLVC Championships, and the women's team returned to the top four in fall 2024.

"I couldn't be more excited to lead the cross country and track and field programs here at UIS as the official head coach," said Coach King. "I want to thank my mentor and assistant coach Tyler Pence, Athletic Director Mike Hermann, Chancellor Gooch and Vice Chancellor Dr. Clark for believing in my ability to continue guiding this program to new heights.

"Our goal remains the same: to be a premier destination for distance runners while building out the other disciplines in track and field over the coming years. We'll focus on recruiting high-quality athletes who reflect the tradition of excellence that UIS represents in both athletics and academics.

"We have an amazing group of student-athletes who are incredibly team-oriented and highly motivated to succeed. They're ready to take this program to the next level and bring championships back to Springfield. I'm excited to get back to work with Coach Pence and Coach Skeate. Go Stars!"

In three years, King has coached 42 All-GLVC performers, 10 GLVC Champions, and three All-Americans. He was named GLVC Coach of the Year in 2022 after leading the UIS men's team to its first conference title.

"Emmons had done an outstanding job with the cross country and distance track program during his time on the coaching staff," said director of athletics Mike Hermann. "He provides an outstanding experience for our student-athletes. I am confident the Prairie Stars will continue to be among the top cross country programs in the GLVC and will bring home additional conference titles in the near future." 

The program continued its upward trajectory in 2024-25, with Dom Cantarini earning GLVC Freshman of the Year honors in men's cross country and Madelyn Miller achieving All-American status in the indoor 5,000-meter run. Miller also qualified for outdoor nationals in both the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races.

King has also overseen steady improvement in team-wide performance. The UIS women's cross country team posted its best-ever average time at a conference meet in fall 2024, with its top five scoring runners averaging 22:30. The men's team averaged 24:46 and placed four runners in the top 20. On the track, the UIS women's top four performers in the 10,000 meters averaged 37:53.56 after the season opener, earning a No. 5 national event squad ranking from the USTFCCCA.

King is a UIS alumnus and former Prairie Star student-athlete who competed from 2018 to 2021. He holds both a bachelor's degree in business and a master's in communication from the university. He now leads the program into its milestone tenth season in fall 2025.

King's staff includes longtime assistant coach Tyler Pence and newly appointed assistant Kaitlin Skeates.