Former longtime Southeast Missouri track and field coach Joey Haines passed away Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at age 76.
A native of Columbus, Georgia, Haines retired from coaching in 2008 to conclude a 26-year tenure at SEMO. During SEMO's Division II years, Haines' men's and women's teams combined for 24 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championships during the indoor and outdoor seasons.
After Southeast joined NCAA Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference, Haines' teams continued achieving. His men's teams won six OVC titles between indoor and outdoor since 1995 with more than 100 conference champions, including a national indoor champion at 500 meters in 1994. His women's programs racked up 14 OVC team crowns with another 100-plus conference champions.
Coach Haines was named OVC Coach of the Year 20 times during his career. He was the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year in 1985, the NCAA Division I Regional Coach of the Year in 1998, MIAA Coach of the Year six times and Missouri Track & Field Coaches Association Coach of the Year six times.
The Redhawks lone regular season track and field home meet held each spring is named in his honor.
He is a Class of 2002 Missouri Track & Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame member, a Class of 2008 member of the SEMO Athletics Hall of Fame and a Class of 2014 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame member.
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