Gardner-Webb University Athletics

In 2023-2024, Theil enters his first season as the head coach of the track & field and cross country programs. He joined Gardner-Webb after 10 seasons as the head coach at Southern Wesleyan University.
 
The first and only head coach in Southern Wesleyan track and field history, Thiel oversaw the program’s growth from an NCCAA program to an NCAA Division II program. Since completing the transition for the 2016-2017 season, Thiel produced eight All-Americans, 95 all-region athletes, and 137 all-conference athletes, 65 of whom also claimed Conference Carolinas championships.
 
Thiel was named Conference Carolinas Indoor Coach of the Year in 2016-2017 and Outdoor Coach of the Year in 2021. His women's track and field team finished as Conference Carolinas runner-up nine times during the indoor and outdoor seasons.
 
In the infancy of Southern Wesleyan’s program, Thiel developed 41 NCCAA All-Americans and six national champions, including the 4x400 women’s relay team that claimed back-to-back national titles in 2015 and 2016.
 
Prior to his time at Southern Wesleyan, Thiel spent seven years as a high school athletic director and administrator in Florida. In those roles, Thiel helped build new facilities, developed strength programs, negotiated apparel contracts, started new programs, and managed budgets.
 
A veteran of the collegiate ranks, Thiel was previously the Head Track and Field and Cross Country Coach at South Florida for six seasons, where in 2003 his women’s outdoor team claimed the program’s first-ever Conference USA Championship. That season Thiel was named C-USA Women’s Track and Field Coach of the Year. The Bulls also notched runner-up finishes during the 2004 outdoor season, the 2003 indoor season, and the 2002 outdoor season at C-USA women’s championship meets. In his six seasons at USF, he coached 17 All-Americans and 60 conference champions.
 
Outside of competition, Thiel’s teams also excelled in the classroom. During his USF tenure, the women’s cross country team was named an Academic All-America program (top-20 cumulative GPA) five times (2001-05), while his men’s cross country team received the honor three times (2002-05). In track and field, the women earned the same recognition three times (2002-04) and the men took home the honor once in 2003. In addition, Thiel’s 2001 women’s track and field team was named Conference USA’s Academic Team of the Year after posting a 3.3 cumulative GPA. 
 
Before taking the reins at USF, Thiel was an assistant with the Bulls. As an assistant he helped develop and launch the program, serving as the recruiting coordinator for sprints, throws, and hurdles. He directly coached and developed nine All-Americans and five Olympians.