By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
With the retirement of longtime Northern Kentucky University head track and field and cross-country Steve Kruse after a 32-year career, it was the natural way to go for new vice-president and director of athletics Mike Odom for his first hire.
Kruse’s 15-year associate head coach, Paul Longano, will move into the position, the school announced Wednesday.
“Paul’s passion for our student-athletes, his championship results, and his dedication to NKU make him the ideal person to lead our program,” Odom’s said in a statement. “I’m excited to work alongside Paul as he steps into this new leadership role and to watch him, along with our entire track and cross-country staff, continue to build a best-in-class experience for our talented and hard-working student-athletes. There is tremendous potential within this program, and I’m excited about what lies ahead under Paul’s leadership.”
Longano’s responsibilities had included coaching sprints, hurdles and women’s recruiting, having trained and recruited 27 Horizon League Champions and a pair of Horizon League Championship record holders.
“I want to sincerely thank Mike Odom for his confidence in me, and the student-athletes, both past and present, for their faith and belief in me throughout this process,” Longano said. “Most importantly, I want to thank my wife, Bernadette, and our four children, Tommy, Tony, Teresa and JP, for their unwavering love, support and sacrifice throughout my coaching career. I am excited for what we can build together and for the opportunity to lead this program into its next chapter.”
With a lifetime in the Greater Cincinnati coaching ranks, Longano came to NKU after serving as head coach at Mt. St. Joseph following his time as an assistant at Xavier, where he received his master’s degree in sports administration. His MSJ athletes broke 47 school records while his Xavier athletes broke another 25.
Before his college coaching days, Longano also coached at Ohio high schools Taylor and Mariemont, where his track athlete won multiple titles, set numerous records and earned him a pair of Coach of the Year titles in 2005.
Since 2019 at NKU, Longano-recruited athletes have helped the NKU women’s track & field program produce seven 4x400m Horizon League relay champions, six 400m championships, six 200m championships, and three 800m championships. In field events, his athletes include Julia Pohl, a two-time Horizon League high jump champion and 2022 Horizon League indoor freshman of the year, and Demondrea Starnes, a two-time Horizon League triple jump champion.
Lady Norse soccer with a soccer win at Austin Peay
Picked to finish second in the Horizon League, NKU’s women’s soccer team opened with a 4-1 win at Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tenn., Wednesday. In a match where NKU never trailed, Megan Molner scored early after just six minutes on her way to a three-goal game in seven shot attempts in her 77 minutes of action.
Molner’s hat trick was the first for NKU since Allison Ponzer did it in 2011 and the first in the Horizon since last August and with the Wednesday morning match the first in the 2026 NCAA Women’s Soccer season, Molner’s hat trick is the first by any player in 2026.
Her six points are also a new single-game record in NKU’s Division I era with the victory NKU’s first road-opening win since 2021.
Northern Kentucky returns home next Thursday, Aug. 20, to take on Mount Saint Joseph in the Lady Norse’s home opener.
Contact Dan Weber at dweber3440@aol.com. Follow him on X @dweber3440.