Bemidji State University

Mike Lynch enters his fourth season as head coach of the BSU Track and Field and Cross Country programs in 2025-26. Lynch previously served as an assistant coach under Head Coach Kevin Kean from 2018-22.
 
Moving into the Head Coach position in 2022-23, Lynch has helped coach the Beavers through multiple NCAA Regionals for cross country. In 2022, the XC team became the fastest to date in program history, improving their average time by a full minute compared to the previous season. In 2023, Mary Goodwin was named the NSIC's Athlete of the Week after a program record in the 5K. Beaver Cross Country consistently improves personal and program bests since Lynch's move into the head coach roll. 

On the track and in the field, Lynch's Head Track and Field Coach position started in dramatic fashion with the Beavers earning 14 personal records and one program record at the Opener in Duluth, Minn. for indoor track and field. In his first outdoor season, Lynch coached thrower Tierra Doss and distance runner Mary Goodwin to All-NSIC honors at the NSIC Championships. The pair also earned USTFCCCA All-Region nods. In 2024, Goodwin was named the NSIC's Outstanding Senior of the Year for Women's Indoor Track and Field. She then broke a 34-year-old program record in the 5K the following outdoor season and was named BSU's NSIC Honor Student-Athlete Award winner. 

Lynch spent the four seasons as an assistant within the BSU Track and Field/Cross Country programs with a primary focus on mid-distance/distance runners. During his time overseeing the Beavers’ cross country program, Lynch guided then freshman Ryne Prigge to BSU’s best individual performance at the 2018 NCAA Division II Central Region Championship. He has also helped coach one Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference champion, four top-8 NSIC finishers and one NSIC All-Conference selection.
 
Lynch has also helped numerous student-athletes to NSIC All-Academic selections including All-Academic Team of Excellence selections and Myles Brand Award recipients. With the help of his leadership, the team has earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team nods multiple times. Additionally, numerous student-athletes have been named to the CSC Academic All-District Team and the D2ADA Academic Achievement Teams.  
 
Lynch joined BSU after serving two seasons (2016-18) at Augustana University. He coached two individuals to their first NCAA Outdoor Championships appearances and played a part in helping the program to an NSIC Outdoor Championship in the 400-meter hurdles. Lynch also coached an individual to a school record in the 400-meter hurdles. During the indoor season, he coached a qualifier in the 800-meter run to the NCAA Indoor Championships and coached the 800m NSIC meet record holder.
 
Prior to joining Augustana, Lynch served as an assistant coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State University during the 2015-16 academic year. He began his coaching career as the head track & field coach at Service High School in Anchorage, Alaska from 2010-15. Lynch led seven individuals to state championship titles and helped the team to a regional runner-up finish in 2015. He was also named a Cook Inlet All-Star Coach in 2015