Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Track & Field hires Enyia as assistant coach
10/18/2010 | 12:00:00 | Track and Field
Oct. 18, 2010
by Michael Benson
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois track & field head coach Connie Price-Smith has announced the hiring of Chidi Enyia as the sprints coach. Enyia brings over a decade of coaching experience to the Salukis.
"I'm really excited to have Chidi as part of the staff," Price-Smith said. "I look forward to him coming in and taking over the sprints group and leading them down a new path."
Enyia spent last season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Salukis, where he assisted with the sprinters and hurdlers on the team.
"I'm excited to have this opportunity in the state and across the country," Enyia said. "It's a wonderful staff and I'm excited to be a part of this. It gives me an opportunity to keep the program up and keep it moving forward."
In 2007, Enyia founded the USATF/AAU registered Flight Track Club out of Frankfort, Ill. Serving as head coach, he had 16 individuals and seven relay teams qualify for the USATF Junior Olympics and Youth National meets in a matter of three years. Two of his qualifiers and three of his relay teams finished as All-Americans. In the summer of 2009, Enyia's 100m and 400H qualified for the USATF World Youth Trials held at Eastern Michigan University.
In 2006-08, Enyia was the sprints and horizontal jumps coach at Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort, Ill. In his two and a half seasons at LWE, the Griffins broke 19 school records under Enyia's guidance. Enyia had six individuals and eight relays qualify for the Illinois High School Outdoor State meet. He had two all-state individuals in the boy's 100m and 200m as well as an all-state 4x400 relay team.
Enyia played football at Illinois State, where he graduated from in 2002 with a Bachelor's of Science degree. After graduation, Enyia ran with the God Speed Track Club out of California from 2003-04.
He is a USATF Level I Certified Track and Field Coach and has over 12 years experience in performance enhancement, consulting numerous athletes worldwide from youth to emerging elite.
He was born in DeKalb, Ill., and graduated from Crete-Monee High School in Crete, Ill. in 1997. Enyia is a first-generation American, as his parents come from Nigeria.
