J.P. Behnke is in his eighth season as Little Rock’s Director of Track and Field/Cross Country and head coach, taking over the program in 2018.
With a coaching career spanning 21 years, Behnke has built programs into perennial contenders, collecting conference titles, school records, and numerous accolades.. Since arriving at Little Rock, he has been named Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year three times: Men’s Indoor (2025, 2024) and Men’s Outdoor (2024).
Coaching Career – Little Rock
In 2024-25 Behnke guided the Trojans to their second OVC men’s indoor title, capping a run of 12 consecutive top-two finishes across the men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor championships. The women’s indoor team placed second but also achieved the highest point total in school history at 128.5. During the outdoor season, the men and women both finished second at the OVC Championship meet. The Trojans claimed nine indoor conference titles, 11 outdoor titles, set two new school records, and broke two OVC Championship meet records.
In 2023-24, Little Rock swept the men’s indoor and outdoor OVC titles — the first in program history—while the women placed second at both meets. Across both seasons, Trojan athletes combined for 14 individual conference championships and set multiple school and OVC records. And to top it all off, the Trojans had 10 NCAA Qualifiers this year, which is the most in program history. In cross country, the men finished top 10 in the NCAA South Central Regional.
The 2022-23 season marked Little Rock’s debut in the OVC and produced the highest men’s national ranking in school history at No. 59. The Trojans broke 22 outdoor and 14 indoor school records, crowned 19 OVC champions, and celebrated Johnathan Jones earning All-American honors with a 10th-place finish at Nationals in the high jump. In 2022, a program-record seven athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Over Behnke’s first four years, Little Rock athletes claimed seven Sun Belt Conference titles and 28 All-Conference honors. Notable accolades include Cameron Jackson earning SBC Track Athlete of the Year in 2022 and SBC Indoor Freshman of the Year in 2020. The Trojans also scored 62 points at the 2020 SBC Indoor Championship—the second-highest in school history.
In his debut season, Behnke’s impact was immediate. Shanieke Watson earned third-team All-Sun Belt cross country honor and was twice named SBC Runner of the Week. She also placed 16th at the NCAA South Central Regional. During the indoor season, Little Rock produced three Sun Belt champions — Keshawn Andrews (60 meters), Charles Okeze (200 meters), and Emilio Medina (men’s mile) — as the Trojan men posted their highest conference point total in seven years.
Previous Coaching Roles – Oakland University & Macomb CC
Before Little Rock, Behnke spent 12 seasons at Oakland University in Michigan, serving in several roles, including interim head coach in 2018. That year, he led Oakland’s men to their first Horizon League Outdoor Championship. His tenure produced 37 conference champions across 13 events and contributed to seven Horizon League team titles (two track and field, five cross country).
Behnke mentored athletes such as Aaron Davis, who swept the 100 and 200 meters en route to Outdoor Male Athlete of the Year honors; Nick Girodat, who set the indoor 60-meter dash record; and Zach Stadnika, who scored a Horizon League-record 39 points while winning the decathlon in 2018. He also coached Oakland’s first All-American, Jason Bigelow (2010), and guided the middle-distance group to eight consecutive Horizon League 800-meter titles (2014–17).
Behnke began his career at Macomb Community College (2005–06), serving as assistant coach for both track and field and cross country. He worked as the team’s recruiting coordinator and coached NJCAA Indoor High Jump national champion Joe Dugall.
Certifications
Behnke is a USA Track and Field Level II certified coach, earning distinction for jumps in 2008 and for sprints, hurdles, and relays in 2010.
Personal
As a student-athlete, Behnke was a three-year standout at Lake Superior State, setting school records in the indoor and outdoor 800 meters and earning two All-GLIAC honors. He began his collegiate career at Lansing Community College, where he was part of the 1998 NJCAA national championship cross country team, won the 1999 NJCAA Super Regional 800 meters, and earned All-American honors in the 4x800 relay.
A native of Rochester Hills, Michigan, Behnke earned a degree in recreation management from Lake Superior State in 2002 and a master’s in health science from St. Francis University.
