COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Track & Field is excited to announce the newest addition to the coaching staff, as Iliyan Chamov joins the Tiger family as the assistant coach in charge of horizontal jumps and multi-events. Chamov comes to Columbia from Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville (SIUE), where he spent the past three years leading the jumps and multi-events.
"We are thrilled to add Iliyan and his wife, Celia, to our Mizzou family," Head Coach Brett Halter said. "I have known Iliyan for many years and have been impressed with his integrity, work ethic, and passion for providing terrific athletic experiences for his student-athletes. Iliyan has had a wealth of success as an athlete and a coach both on the collegiate and international stages. We are blessed to have him join us and share in our vision of Championship Track & Field."
Chamov is a 2012 graduate of Lindenwood University (St. Charles, Mo.), where he earned his undergraduate degree in athletic training and his master's in human performance. Chamov arrived at Lindenwood already well-decorated, qualifying for the 2004 Bulgarian Olympic Trials and winning the triple jump competition at the 2002 Balkan Peninsula Track & Field Championships. His success continued at the collegiate level, as he collected five NAIA national championship titles during his tenure with the Lions.
Prior to his move to SIUE, Chamov served as an assistant coach for his alma mater, guiding seven national champions and 16 All-Americans, including the Trinidad & Tobago national record holder in the indoor high jump, Kevin Huggins.
Upon moving to SIUE in 2013, Chamov continued mentoring an elite-class of jumpers, starting with LaDerrick Ward, who earned three All-American honors and owned the No. 1 long jump mark in the NCAA in 2014. Ward, who qualified for the 2013 and 2014 USATF Championships in the long jump, was a member of Team USA for the 2013 Pan-American Sports Festival, where he placed eighth overall.
In all, Chamov has helped lead four All-Americans, six NCAA Championship qualifiers, 13 conference champions, and 18 school records thus far in his coaching career.
"I am truly honored for the opportunity to coach at the University of Missouri," Chamov said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve as an assistant coach for one of the most-decorated track and field programs in the nation. Everyone on the coaching staff is a true professional with a great amount of experience. I am very appreciative to Coach Halter and the rest of the staff for putting their trust in me."
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