Jordan Fife was named Director of Track and Field and Cross Country in July of 2019, making him the seventh head coach in the history of the MSU women's track program, which began in 1969.

After serving as an assistant track coach and head cross country coach since the fall of 2014, Fife was named the program's intern head track and field coach in 2018, while remaining head cross country coach.

Since he joined the Bears in 2014, Missouri State track and field has produced 68 all-conference selections, 33 regional qualifiers, a national qualifying 4x100-meter relay team, three MVC Freshman of the Year awards, an MVC Indoor MVP and an MVC Indoor Most Outstanding Track Athlete honor. During his time in Springfield, the Bears have posted nine top-5 finishes in the team standings at the MVC Championships, including a third-place finish at the 2020 MVC Indoor Championship.

For the Bears cross country squad, Fife has coached four all-MVC runners, five MVC Scholar-Athlete selections, and an NCAA All-Region honoree.

In 2023-24, Fife led a cross country squad that finished fifth at the MVC Championship for their highest finish since 2019. He also led them to a win at the Billiken XC Invite and a top-10 finish at the Arkansas Chile Pepper Festival. In track and field, the Bears finished ninth at both the Indoor and Outdoor MVC Championship meets. Both teams earned academic honors from the USTFCCCA.

During the 2022-23 season, Fife oversaw a squad that ultimately produced seven top-three finishes at the MVC Indoor and Outdoor Championships including an event champion in the 60-meter dash. In the classroom, the team compiled a 3.614 GPA and multiple selections onto the MSU Athletic Director's Honor Roll. The 2022-23 season also saw Missouri State host its first home track and field meet since 2016. At the SBU Bearcat Invitational, Fife saw his team to a second-place team finish out of 21 programs competing at the outdoor meet before finishing eighth out of 12 teams at the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships.

The 2022 track and field season saw the Bears compete in four regular-season campaigns before hitting the post-season in stride. The team earned an eighth-place finish at the Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships held in Terre Haute, which were highlighted by a 31st place finish from Claudrice McKoy. The Bears then traveled to the NCAA Midwest Regional in Columbia, Mo., where the team finished 29th.

During the 2021-22 season, Fife coached talented athletes in all facets of his program. He saw the cross country team to a sixth-place finish at the Missouri Valley Conference cross country championships which featured a 20th place finisher in Sierra Williams.

Shifting to the track and field season, with Fife at the helm, the Bears finished fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships. Between the indoor and outdoor season MSU produced three NCAA National Qualifiers, 10 top-three finishes at the conference championships and United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team honors.

In 2020-21, the Bears made the most of an unprecedented season which began with a four-meet indoor schedule where MSU won four event titles and finished fifth in the team standings at the MVC Indoor Championship. Madison Meredith garnered MVC MVP and Most Outstanding Track Athlete honors at the Valley meet. During the outdoor campaign, Missouri State competed in five regular-season meets before heading to the MVC Outdoor Championship where the Bears finished fourth and had six athletes reach the podium. The year concluded with five of Fife's Bears qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field West Preliminary meet.

In an altered 2020-21 cross country campaign which saw MSU race in the fall and the spring, the Bears competed in three meets and finished sixth in the team standings at the MVC Cross Country Championship.

The 2019-20 track and field season provided significant gains for Coach Fife's squad, punctuated by a third-place finish in the team standings at the 2020 MVC Indoor Championship, the program's highest finish at the Valley meet since 2012. Utilizing a roster of 25 newcomers along with a handful of veteran returners, Fife's tutelage culminated with nine All-MVC honorees for the indoor season, including MVC Freshman of the Year, Malia Watkins.

For the 2019 cross country campaign, Fife coached the distance Bears to a fifth-place finish at the MVC Cross Country Championship. The Bears hit their stride mid-season with MSU taking first place at the Southern Stampede to claim its first team title since 2013.

In his first season running the Bears track & field program, the small, but hardworking squad, finished sixth at the MVC Indoor Championship and fifth at the Outdoor Championship. His athletes earned eight All-MVC honors at the outdoor meet, including Jamilah James capturing the triple jump title and Grace Breiten running the fourth-fastest 5,000-meter in school history.

The 2018 cross country season saw growth from the young team. MSU came in sixth place (139 points) at the MVC Championship, placing Breiten in fifth place overall, earning All-MVC honors.

2017 saw marked improvement for the Bears. As a team, MSU came up with 122 points, the most by the Bears at a conference meet since 2011. Jessica Allen paced the Bears with a a third-place finish.

In 2016, Fife oversaw the Bears eight place finish at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship, where Jessica Allen led the way with a 22nd place finish.

Fife made many improvements in the 2015 cross country season after the Bears earned a 10th place finish at the MVC Championships in 2014, earning eighth-place in 2015.

He coached senior standout Cindy Forde as she improved to the second-fastest 5-kilometer runner in program history at MSU. Fife is hoping that his young cross country squad can help contribute to the track program as he added seven to the 2015 program.

Fife comes to the Bears after being the boys and girls cross country coach at Bloomington High School South in Bloomington, Ind., since 2011.

No stranger to the Missouri Valley Conference, Fife competed in cross country and track & field at Indiana State from 2002-07, claiming school records in the 1,500 meters, 3,000 meters and 3,000-meter steeplechase during his time as a Sycamore. Fife also earned 2005 Most Valuable Athlete recognition for the MVC indoor championships and claimed Most Valuable Track Athlete for the 2006 MVC outdoor championships. He was named the recipient of the Hillman Award as a senior in 2007, an honor given to ISU's outstanding male athlete.

Following graduation, Fife ran for Team Indiana Elite in Bloomington until November 2012, becoming an eight-time USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships qualifier in the steeplechase. Fife also qualified for consecutive U.S. Olympic Trials in the steeplechase as well as two USATF indoor championships in the 1,500 meters.

Fife became the fourth runner in Indiana to achieve a sub-four-minute mile in 2008, running 3:59.75.

He and his wife, Allison, have three children -- son Graham and daughters Elliot and Finley.

2025 Women's Cross Country Coaching Staff

Coaching Staff

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