Petros Kyprianou

Biography

Two-time NCAA Championship coach Petros Kyprianou (pronounced KEEP-ree-on-oo) was hired on July 26, 2022 as the new director of the Fighting Illini track and field and cross country programs. In his third season (2024-25), he led the women's team to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, their highest finish in 29 years. He has guided the program to multiple All-American honors and conference championships, including the women's first Big Ten Indoor Championships title in 11 years during his sophomore campaign. From 2015-2021, Kyprianou served as head coach at the University of Georgia, where he led the Bulldogs to unprecedented success including two NCAA titles, three runner-up performances, and 16 top-ten NCAA finishes. He was a three-time USTFCCCA National Coach of the Year and coached athletes to 28 NCAA titles during his 13-year Georgia tenure. Kyprianou has coached for four countries in international competition, including three different Olympics. A native of Cyprus, he competed in the decathlon, pole vault, hurdles, and long jump in Greece, winning several national championships. He graduated from Aristotle University in Greece and later earned a master's degree from UNO.