The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

🎙️ “Less Is More”: Jeff Bovee’s 20-Year Journey at Illinois State

What does it take to lead a Division I track & field program for nearly two decades? Illinois State's Jeff Bovee joins us to unpack a coaching journey that’s anything but linear—spanning high school, JUCO, D3, and D1—and rooted in the philosophy that sometimes, less is more.

💥 In this episode:

🏃‍♂️ From Arizona’s heat to Midwest winters: Jeff’s start in running and the "desert van run" that changed everything

🧠 Early coaching influences and how curiosity shaped his athlete and coaching mindset

🛠️ Building Parkland’s jumps program—with no formal jumps background

🗣️ The impact of mentors like Tom Akers and Dave Murray on his leadership path

🧗 The climb at Illinois State: from assistant to head coach, and how he keeps leveling up

🧩 Why retaining athletes in the NIL/portal era is just as important as recruiting them

🧠 How vulnerability, humility, and creativity continue to fuel his success

🎧 "You’ve got to challenge your coach to be a better coach—for you."

– Jeff Bovee

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