Montana Tech Athletics

Zach Kughn, the university's first full-time head cross country coach, was hired on December 19, 2019 to begin the Oredigger men's and women's cross country programs by Director of Athletics Matt Stepan. 

Kughn was previously the head coach at NCAA Division II Winona State and Dakota Wesleyan of the NAIA before coming to Butte. Kughn was a four-year letterman for Montana State running cross country and track for the Bobcats. Kughn was a consistent Big Sky Conference Championship qualifier including winning a Big Sky Championship as part of the Distance Medley Relay. 

Kughn ran prep for coach Mike Scannell at Grand Blanc High School in Michigan who has coached numerous state and national champion distance runners. 

Winona State named Kughn the head cross country coach prior to the 2018 season and he also served as an assistant coach for the track and field program. Kughn produced the first national qualifiers for NCAA Division II in school history for the Warriors in Distance Medley Relay and the Indoor Mile. The women's cross country team finished one spot from making nationals with a 4^th place finish at the Central Region Cross Country Championship last season. Kughn was a finalist for the Women's Coach of the Year for the Central Region.

Kughn is an academic achievement award recipient graduating from Montana State with a degree in health and human performance in 2016. Kughn received his master's degree in Educational Policy and Administration at Dakota Wesleyan.