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. The program took another step forward in Kyprianou's third season (2024-25) as he led the women's team to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, their highest finish in 29 years and third-highest finish in program history. From 2015-2021, Kyprianou served in the same capacity at the University of Georgia, where, in his six seasons as head coach, he led the Bulldogs to unprecedented success, including a pair of NCAA titles – the first in school history – three runner-up performances, and a total of 16 top-ten NCAA finishes. Kyprianou was a three-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coach of the Year, winning the award in 2017 (women outdoor) and twice in 2018 (women indoor and men outdoor). He coached athletes to a total of 28 NCAA titles during his 13-year Georgia tenure. A native of Cyprus, Kyprianou 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.