Recorded October 29, 2025 — just weeks before Tallahassee — this conversation with Indiana Wesleyan Head Cross Country Coach Brody Beiler hits different now that the Wildcats went on to win the 2025 NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Championship on November 21, 2025, and Coach Beiler was named NAIA Men’s XC Coach of the Year. 🏆🔥
At the time of this recording, IWU’s men were ranked #2 in the NAIA and the women #4, coming off years of top-5 finishes and a rising national profile. Coach Beiler walks us through the faith-driven culture, competitive mindset, and long-term vision that helped turn Indiana Wesleyan into a NAIA powerhouse.We dive into:
- 📍 Coach Beiler’s journey from Pennsylvania kid to college All-American to NAIA head coach
- 🏫 Taking the baton from legendary coach John Foss and honoring 40+ years of foundation
- ✝️ How Indiana Wesleyan balances competitiveness and Christ-centered identity (“both/and,” not either/or)
- 🧠 Training philosophy: thresholds, doubles, cross-training, Boost treadmills, and actually keeping easy days easy
- 🏟️ Facilities, IWU’s home XC course, and hosting 7,000+ HS & MS athletes every year
- 🎓 Academics, recruiting niche student-athletes, and building a national-caliber roster in Marion, Indiana
- 🧭 The “CAT” recruiting acronym (Curiosity of faith • Attitude • Talent)
- 🧺 Coach-as-CEO: budgets, big-picture projects, and fighting “disordered loves” to keep faith, family, and sport in order
- 📦 The Romans 12 “phone box,” daily practices, and what it means to truly “run free”
Whether you’re a high school athlete, a coach, or a running nerd who loves NAIA and small-college XC, this is a killer time capsule of a team on the brink of its first national title.
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0:00 – 1:07 - Why Airey Bros Radio shines a light on NAIA, JUCO, D2 & D3 + setting the table for Indiana Wesleyan XC.
1:08 – 3:42 - Howdy & aloha intro • Full bio on Coach Brody Beiler • Taking over IWU XC after 37-year head coach John Foss • Socials and contact info for recruits & parents (IWUXCTF Instagram, email, etc.).
3:47 – 7:58 - Brody’s origin story: small-town Pennsylvania, a 2:22 marathoner high school coach, falling in love with running, college experiences at Lipscomb & Messiah, and how faith reshaped his life and career.
8:05 – 10:21- Grad school, higher ed & student ministry • How those degrees help him coach 18–22 year-olds through relationships, adversity, and big life transitions.
10:26 – 13:42 - Year 2 at Indiana Wesleyan: preseason rankings vs current reality (men #2, women #4) • Young roster, big recruiting class, and keeping everyone healthy, hungry, and joyful in championship season.
13:42 – 15:54 - Taking the baton from Coach Foss: what was already in place, pressure vs blessing, and navigating change while honoring decades of tradition and culture.
15:01 – 17:32 - Training talk: double threshold experiments, how he structures hard days vs easy...
