Hokie ClubDirector of Track and Field and Cross Country, Ben Thomas, annouced the addition of Tim Sykes to the 2024-2025 coaching staff in August of 2024. Sykes assumed the position of assistant coach for distance/cross country and recruiting coordinator.
In his first season back with Virginia Tech track & field and cross country (2024-2025), Sykes assisted with the development of nine All-Americans, three ACC Champions, 11 All-ACC honorees, one NCAA Southeast Regional cross country champion and three All-Region finishers. The 2024 cross country season was the most successful for the Hokies since 2019, with George Couttie claiming the first All-American honors for the program since Peter Seufer in 2019. The men's team qualified for the NCAA Cross Country Championships and finished 26th overall, the highest finish for the squad since 2019. Couttie, joined by Nicholas Kipchirchir and Sharon Chepchirchir, each collected NCAA All-Region finishes, the first for the men since 2022 and the first for the women since 2021. During the 2025 indoor season, Sykes coached Nick Plant to an ACC individual title (1:46.94) and the Rector Field House facility record (1:46.85) in the 800m, the men's DMR to the program record (9:19.88), an ACC title and First Team All-American honors, and George Couttie to Second Team All-American honors in the 3,000m. The 2025 outdoor season proved fruitful as well, with Christian Jackson taking the ACC title in the 800m in record fashion, landing the NCAA lead, the NCAA No. 20 all-time performance, the program record, the ACC Championship meet record and the Kentner Stadium facility record with his 1:44.83. Nick Plant collected the bronze in the 800m and the pair went on to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, where Jackson earned First Team All-American honors. Sykes also coached Lindsey Butler back to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 1500m for First Team All-American honors after collecting All-ACC honors in the 800m. Declan Rymer had a standout senior season under the guidance of Thomas and Sykes, collecting All-ACC honors in both the steeplechase and the 5,000m. Rymer went on to qualify for the Outdoor Championships where he finished 19th overall in the nation. Earlier in the outdoor season, Rymer posted an 8:40.22 in the steeplechase at the Wake Forest Invitational for the No. 4 all-time top performance in program history.
Sykes returned to the Tech track and field and cross country programs after stops at Akron, Ohio Christian, Western Kentucky, Oregon, Liberty, Ohio and Virgnia Military. His history as a member of the Hokies' coaching staff began in 2007 as the volunteer assistant.
Most recently, Sykes was the head cross country and assistant track and field coach at Akron. In his two years with the Zips, he led the men's outdoor track program to two consecutive Mid-American Conference championships and the men's cross country program to their first championship since reinstatement after a four-year hiatus.
During his time at Ohio Christian, Sykes led 10 student-athletes to individual championships, 25 to All-Conference honors, one to an NAIA Track All-American selection, and four to NAIA cross country national qualifying marks.
Prior to Ohio Christian, Sykes spent 2019-20 at Western Kentucky with the distance programs, helping 18 student-athletes to personal records and leading the Hilltopper men to a seventh place finish at the C-USA cross country championships, a two-spot improvement from the previous year.
During Ben Thomas' first year at Oregon, Sykes served as his assistant, where eight athletes collected All-American honors, six different male athletes broke the four-minute mile, and the Oregon athletes secured 30 total qualifying marks for NCAA Championships. The women collected third place finishes in the Pac-12 in cross country and indoor track and second place in outdoor while the men solidified their dynasty with their 13th Pac-12 Championship title.
At Liberty, from 2017-18, Sykes coached multiple athletes to personal bests and worked with Azaria Kirwa, who finished third overall at the NCAA DI Southeast Regional and collected All-American honors at the championship.
From 2013-15, Sykes worked with the distance programs at Ohio, where Juli Accurso became the first three-time MAC cross country champion and earned three All-American honors under his tutelage.
Sykes' first role as a head coach came in 2012, where he ran the distance programs for the Virginia Military Institute. At VMI, he coached the Big South mile individual champion, a champion in the 800m and the 1600m and a third place finisher in the 10k. The individual champions in the 800m and 1600m advanced to the IC4A Championships with the 4x800m relay team.
In 2003, Sykes completed his bachelor's degree in multi-age physical education from Rio Grande and completed his master's in sport sciences and pedagogy at Ohio in 2004. In 2011, Sykes finished his educational journey with a Ph.D. in education, curriculum, and instruction: sports performance from Virginia Tech.