ANNAPOLIS, Md. – After spending the last 32 seasons as the head coach of the Navy cross country program, Karen Boyle has announced she will retire from coaching at the end of this academic year. Boyle will remain with the United States Naval Academy on staff in the Physical Education department.
 
"The past 32 years of coaching at Navy have been an incredible ride for me!" exclaimed Boyle. "Beating Army and winning championships are always exhilarating; the lifelong relationships with my athletes, their families, and my fellow coaches, are heartfelt and endearing. Waking up every morning loving your profession is something we all dream about; I've lived it, coaching for 32 years and 96 seasons of cross country, indoor, and outdoor track! I'm fortunate to continue at Navy, full time, as a Professor of The Physical Mission, teaching kayaking, triathlon training, rock climbing, swimming, as well as assisting in the Physiology Lab. It's an absolute honor and privilege to teach and coach our USNA student-athletes! As always, GO NAVY BEAT ARMY!"
 
"Coach Boyle's personal and professional contributions to competitive cross country at all levels, to our midshipmen, and to our community at large have been phenomenal," remarked Navy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. "It is impossible to fully grasp the magnitude of her positive influence on so many lives over an unparalleled and distinguished career. She has been a leader for collegiate achievement in the sport and has been a role model for those at the Naval Academy through her ability to balance every dimension of our moral, mental and physical mission. Year after year Karen's leadership emerged in influential and inspiring ways and she has proven to be one of the Academy's finest coaches and educators. As she now leaves intercollegiate coaching behind, I look forward to her transitioning into a number of new teaching challenges that will also include advancing our outreach efforts as a liaison to the hundreds of alumni and friends whose lives she has touched over the past 32 years. Thank you Karen Boyle, for being a role model and leader"
 
Guiding the Navy women's cross country team since 1987 when the Mids competed in the NCAA Division II ranks, Boyle wrapped up her 32^nd season this past fall. As part of her final campaign, Navy defeated Army in the squads' annual Star Meet by a score of 24-31, while placing third at the Patriot League Championship on the strength of four top-30 individual results. That success was nothing new to Boyle and her teams as Navy went 21-11 versus Army during her tenure and finished in the top-three at the Patriot League Championship in 12 of 16 years.
 
A four-time Patriot League Coach of the Year, Boyle earned that accolade following each of the Mids' four league titles in 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2012. With her support, Boyle's student-athletes attained First-Team All-Patriot League honors 25 times from 2003 through 2018. Six women earned first team nods multiple times during that time, including Kelley Robinson on four occasions, Jess Palacio three times and Emily Castro three times, as well.
 
Boyle also aided her student-athletes to success on the national stage as seven runners competed at the NCAA Division I Championship under her tutelage starting with Kerry O'Neill in 1992 and most recently with Annie-Norah Beveridge in 2012.
 
Holding her team to high standards in the classroom, as well, Navy averaged 12.1 members named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll over the past 10 years. Brigid Byrne, a high achiever in competition with three all-league nods, also was a standout in academics as she earned top billing in the Patriot League as the conference's 2012 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for cross country. Nationally, Byrne was named a CoSIDA Academic All-America in 2011 as a selectee to the third team and 2012 on the first team.
 
At the beginning of her career, Boyle immediately found success with Navy as the team was a combined 20-2 over the 1987 through 1990 seasons. During Navy's last four years of Division II competition, Boyle and the Mids finished top-five at the NCAA DII Championship each and every year with five runners garnering All-America honors. Boyle was named Eastern Region Coach of the Year three straight years, 1988, 1989 and 1990.
 
Overall, she'll complete her career as Navy's cross country head coach with a record of 159-23, a winning percentage of 87.4 percent.
 
In addition to her work with the cross country program, Boyle was leading member of Navy's track & field program with a focus on distance athletes. As a coach with the track team in 1991, she guided Marty Shue to the 1,500m NCAA Indoor Championship title. Additionally, she helped Kim McGreevey (3,000m) and Jess Palacio (1-Mile) earn All-American accolades in 1995 and 2012, respectively.
 
The Navy women's track & field program has finished atop the standings at the Patriot League Championships on eight separate occasions with Boyle on staff, including a sweep of the indoor and outdoor titles during this past 2019 season.
 
"I want to thank Karen for her commitment to the Navy Track and Field / Cross Country program," remarked Jamie Cook, Director of Navy Track and Field. "She has had a fantastic career and has impacted so many lives during her 32 years as a coach and mentor. Her teams have been successful on and off the field as her student-athletes are now some of our nation's finest leaders.  Over the past two years she has helped in the transition of combining the Men's and Women's programs. Her knowledge and expertise about the USNA are truly unique and have been a big reason why the program has experienced consistent success."   
 
Away from coaching, Boyle is a tenured professor in the Naval Academy's Physical Education Department. She is a 1979 graduate of Bowling Green, who received her degree in physical education ­and later earned her master's degree in athletic administration and recreation from her alma mater in 1982. Athletically, she competed in both track and lacrosse, specializing in the 400 and 4x400-meter relay on the track and was a midfield scorer for the Falcons' lacrosse squad. Her coaching career began at Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, where she coached the women's cross country and track & field teams from 1984-86, developing two national champions and nine All-Americans. 
 
Administratively, Boyle has served as the president of the NCAA Division I Women's Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association (1999-2001), as well as a committee member on the USA Track & Field Coaching Education Board and the United States Track Coaches Association Long Distance Advisory Board.