DALLAS (SMU) - 'A Havahla Haynes has been named Head Coach of the SMU Track & Field and Cross Country teams, Director of Athletics Rick Hart announced today.
 
Haynes comes to SMU from Northwestern, where she has served as Head Coach of the cross country program since 2015. In her four seasons at the helm, Haynes led the Wildcats steadily up the Big Ten standings and saw her student-athletes set 15 school records.
 
"'A Havahla's experience and success at Northwestern and New Mexico were evident on paper, but what was extremely impressive was the level of preparation, organization and detail she provided when she visited campus," said Hart. "She has a vision and plan for every aspect of the program and we expect great things from SMU Track & Field and Cross Country in the coming years."
 
In 2018, Haynes led Northwestern's Aubrey Roberts to the first cross country All-America honors in school history, as she finished 18th at the NCAA Championships. It was the third-consecutive NCAA Championship meet appearance for Roberts, all coming under Haynes. Roberts also became the first woman in school history to earn All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships with a 10th-place finish in the 5,000-meters in 2019. Haynes-coached Wildcats also qualified for the IAAF World Junior Team and NACAC Junior Team.
 
In the classroom, Haynes' teams earned perfect APR scores in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and were named NCAA Division I All-Academic Teams in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
 
"I want to thank Athletic Director Rick Hart, Brad Sutton and the entire SMU Athletics Department for their vision and belief in me as the next Head Track & Field and Cross Country Coach," said Haynes. "SMU presents an incredible opportunity at a world-changing institution that places student-athlete success at the forefront. I could not be more excited to lead the women at SMU with passion and integrity."
 
"I want to extend a grateful thank you to Northwestern Athletics Director Dr. Jim Phillips and Brian Baptiste for taking a chance on me as a first-time head coach and for trusting in me to lead an exemplary group of women over the last four years."
 
"It is an exciting day and I cannot wait to begin at SMU."
 
Haynes returned to Evanston after five seasons at New Mexico where she served as the Associate Head Coach of both the cross country and track & field programs. In the fall of 2014, she helped lead the Lobos to a third-place finish at the NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Championships, which, at that time, was the best result in school history and the team's fifth-consecutive national Top-10 finish. During the five years in Albuquerque, she guided her runners to 10 Mountain West Conference (MWC) Cross Country Team Championships (five men, five women), four MWC Indoor Track & Field Team Championships (two men, two women) and a men's Outdoor Track & Field Title. Her group also captured five Mountain Region Cross Country Championships. Under her tutelage, Lobos student-athletes earned 10 All-America honors and six MWC individual titles in cross country, 10 All-America nods and 14 MWC individual crowns in indoor track, and eight All-America awards and 14 MWC individual championships in outdoor track.

Prior to her tenure at New Mexico, Haynes spent two years as Northwestern's assistant cross country coach. The Phillips, Wisconsin, native earned All-Big Ten and All-Midwest honors for both cross country and track & field at Wisconsin. She was a member of the 2006 Badgers cross country team that placed fourth at the NCAA Championships and she competed in three NCAA Cross Country Championships during her college career. On the track, she set the then-school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and earned All-America honors in 2007. She also qualified to the 2008 Olympic Trials in the steeplechase.
 
Haynes earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin and a Master's of Sports Administration with a focus in marketing & public relations from Northwestern University.