Steve Cooksey was a student-athlete at Indiana State from 1969 to 1972, competing in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump for the Sycamore men’s track & field team. He established school records in the high jump and triple jump during the 1972 season and became the first Indiana State athlete from the men’s track & field team to earn Division I All-American recognition in 1972. He also earned U.S> Track & Field Federation All-America honors.
The Most Valuable Athlete in track & field during the 1972 season, Cooksey began his coaching career as an assistant at Ball State University in 1974. He was acting head cross country coach for the 1978-79 season and became the head coach of cross country and track & Field in 1979. During his time with the Cardinals, Cooksey worked with 18 NCAA qualifiers, three All-Americans, and an NCAA Champion.
Cooksey went to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1984 and served as an assistant coach to Al Cantello with both the cross country and track & field teams for four seasons. He became the Navy Head Coach in 1988. He completed his 25th season at the helm of the Navy men’s track and field program in 2013 and has a combined career record of 324-72.
The six-time Patriot League coach of the Year has guided 12 Midshipmen to a total of 19 All-American honors. He led the Mids to 11 league titles including the program’s first sweep of the Patriot league crowns in 2007-08 after which he was named the Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.
In 1998 he was named the head coach for the United States World Junior Championship team and has served as a coach on several other U.S. National teams. Cooksey was head coach of the 2008 World Indoor Championship team and was named an assistant coach for the 2013 World Outdoor Championship team in charge of jumps and the combined events.
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School record holder in high jump and triple jump (1972)
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First Indiana State University NCAA Division I Track & Field All-American (1972)
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Track & Field Most Valuable Player (1972)
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Ball State University Track & Field Head Coach (1979-1984)
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United States Naval Academy Track & Field Head Coach (1988-2017)
