Tyler McCreary joined Wabash College as the Head Cross Country Coach/Associate Head Track & Field Coach in 2018.
McCreary guided Wabash senior Brayden Curnutt to one of the top individual seasons in recent Red Pack history. Curnutt won the 2024 North Coast Athletic Conference men's cross country individual title and was named the Men's Runner of the Year. Curnutt added an individual championship at the 2024 NCAA DIII Great Lakes Regional and earn a berth in the national championship field. Curnutt finished the cross country season by earning All-America honors with an 18th-place finish at the 2024 NCAA DIII National Championship Meet.
McCreary helped add more All-America honors to the Wabash trophy case during the 2024-25 indoor and 2205 outdoor track and field season. Senior Will Neubauer competed in the 800-meter run at the 2025 NCAA DIII Indoor Track and Field Champikonships, earning All-America honors with an eighth-place finish. Curnutt also qualified for the indoor championship meet in the 5,000-meter run and finished in 15th place to earn a place on the All-America Second Team. Neubauer add All-America honors with a seventh-place finish in the 800-meter run at the 2025 NCAA DIII Outdoor Track and Field Championships to wrap up his Wabash career. McCreary was influentual in Wabash capturing the 2025 NCAC Outdoor Track and Field title, the 11th outdoor track and field conference title and 20th track and field title overall. Curnutt was named the 2025 NCAC Outdoor Men's Distance / Mid-Distance Athlete of the Year after also earning the honor at the 2025 indoor track and field championship.
McCreary's 2023 cross country team won the NCAC men's championship title after being picked to finish fifth in the pre-championship coaches poll, with six runners earning all-conference honors. Brayden Curnutt led the way for the Little Giants by finishing in ninth place. Drake Hayes scored a tenth-place finish, followed by Jacob Sitzman in 11th place, Haiden Diemer-McKinney in 15th place, Joe Barnett in 17th place, and Will Neubauer in 20th place. McCreary earned NCAC Men's Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the team's performance at the conference meet.
Wabash captured second at the 2019 North Coast Athletic Conference men's cross country championship race with Sam Henthorn winning the individual men's title. Henthorn was joined by John Kirts and Ethan Pine as members of the 2019 All-NCAC Team. Henthorn went on to earn the 2020 NCAC Men's Distance Runner of the Year honors at the indoor conference championship meet after winning the 3,000- and 5,000-meter running events. The Little Giants captured the team title at the meet for the seventh time in school history. Henthorn went on to earn Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America.
The 2018 Red Pack placed fourth at the NCAC Championship with three athletes earning All-NCAC honors. His athletes totaled eight All-NCAC honors during the indoor and outdoor track seasons to contribute to the team’s conference titles in 2019. Wabash placed second overall at the 2019 NCAC Cross Country Championships. Senior Sam Henthorn won the individual championship and was joined by John Kirts and Ethan Pine on the All-NCAC Team with top-21 finishes.McCreary's 2021 squad placed fourth overall at the NCAC Championships. Pine earned All-NCAC honors for the second time in his career by finishing 10th overall. Freshman Brayden Curnutt placed 11th to earn a place on the All-NCAC Second Team.
McCreary guided freshman Haiden Diemer-McKinney to All-America honors in the 800-meter run at the 2023 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships. Diemer-McKinney captured third place with a Wabash-record time of 1:50.16. McCreary has been part of Wabash indoor and/or outdoor championship titles at the NCAC meet in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 and has been recognized six times as part of the Staff of the Year for indoor or outdoor track and field by the conference. Forty-five middle-distance and distance runners as well as distance relay teams have earned all-conference track and field honors during McCreary's tenure.
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McCreary was the Girls' Head Track Coach at Lawrence Central before arriving at Wabash. His girls placed ninth at the 2018 IHSAA State Championship. Prior to his second term at LC, McCreary was the Head Cross Country Coach/Assistant Track Coach at North Central from 2013 to 2015. The boys’ cross country team qualified for the IHSAA State Championships in both 2013 and 2014. The Panthers tied for seventh in 2013 and placed ninth in 2014. Two of his athletes earned a combined three All-State honors during that time.
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During Coach McCreary’s first stretch at Lawrence Central, he developed an outstanding group of distance and middle-distance athletes. His team qualified for the IHSAA XC State Championships in 2011 and 2012 (first appearance since 1946). The Bears placed 5th in 2011 and McCreary was a Coach of the Year nominee. They went on to place 10th in 2012. During that time, three of his athletes earned All-State honors (seventh, 20th, and 21st). McCreary’s athletes had a great deal of success on the track as well. From 2010 to 2013, his athletes qualified 18 times for the IHSAA State Championships. Their honors include two state champions, one runner-up, and eight All-State individuals/relays. Those athletes helped contribute to three runner-up teams and one state champion team in 2012. At the New Balance Outdoor Championships from 2010 to 2012, his athletes earned four All-American honors and one National Championship (4x1600). Before his time at LC, McCreary coached the distance team at Bloomington South High School. That year he coached Joe Holahan to a state championship in the 800-meter run. Holahan was also an Indiana All-Star and USATF National Qualifier.
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Prior to coaching, McCreary was a cross country and track athlete at Indiana University where he competed in the 800m and mile runs for the Hoosiers. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. McCreary graduated from Lawrence Central High School in 2005. While at LC, McCreary earned All-State honors five times in track and field. He was the 2005 1600-meter runner-up and the 2005 NSR Indoor State Champion. McCreary was also a member of the 2005 IHSAA State Champion LC Bears team.
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Coach McCreary is USATF Level 1 Certified. He currently resides in Westfield with his wife and two sons.
Tyler McCreary's Coaching Record
2018 - NCACÂ Cross Country Championship - Fourth Place / Nine Teams (Three All-NCAC runners)
2019 - NCAC Cross Country Championship - Second Place / Nine Teams (Three All-NCAC runners; individual champion)
2020 - Season canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 - NCAC Cross Country Championship - Fourth Place / Nine Teams (Two All-NCAC runners)
2022Â - NCAC Cross Country Championship - Seventh Place / Eight Teams (One All-NCAC runner)
2023 - NCAC Cross Country Championship - First Place / Eight Teams (Six All-NCAC runners)
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