Inductees

He ran cross country for a successful St. Louis high school, absolutely loved the sport but then, in his first few years after college, stayed under the radar as a high school/junior high shop teacher.

So when Brian Jett got the chance to coach a junior high girls track team — and was well into his first season – he stopped right in his tracks.

“I thought, ‘If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do this right,’” Jett said.

That he did, eventually elevating the Ste. Genevieve High School cross country and track & field programs. It’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Jett with the Class of 2024.

He started the cross country program in 1995, coaching until 2016, which also marked the end of a 15-year run as the track & field coach.

His teams won seven state titles, including six in girls cross country. Those years cover 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, with the 2014 team tying with Festus as co-champions. The 2006 and 2008 teams placed fourth, and the 2007 team was runner-up. The boys placed third in 2005 and runner-up in 2015.

Those teams combined for seven conference championships and 11 district titles (10 in girls competition). Overall in cross country, he coached 56 All-State athletes and, in track & field, 102 All-State athletes.

“I asked a lot from all of them,” Jett said, giving credit to every runner in the program. “In most cases, they responded with selflessness.”

Jett knew well what a positive high school experience could mean for teens. He graduated from St. Louis’ Lindbergh High School in 1980, meaning he ran for coach Tom McCracken as part of the 1972-1979 era (MSHOF 2021).

“Tom was a dynamic speaker and a great motivator,” Jett said. “Early on, I got my passion for distance running from him.”

However, after graduating from Southeast Missouri State University, Jett spent eight years learning his craft as a shop teacher.

He then coached Ste. Genevieve Middle School’s girls track teams from 1992 to 1996 and earned a promotion to high school varsity in the mid- to late 1990s.

“It’s eye-opening when you see kids have success. That’s a hook as a coach” Jett said. “I wanted to get the best out of them. It was never about me. When they’re seeing success and learning life skills, you just put in hard work to see results.”

The 2003 girls cross country team became the first in program history to quality for state, and then finished sixth, inspiring the next several years.

The next summer, Jett set winning state as the goal. And they did, with a roster that included a sophomore (Niki Bauman) who had broken her back a year earlier. An eventual valedictorian, Emily Huelskamp, stepped in for an injured athlete until districts.

The 2005 team tied West Plains’ 2003 team for the second-lowest score (27 points) in state meet history, thanks to a senior-laden roster. The 2006 state title team then showed the program’s depth and talent, too.

In 2012-2016, he coached record-setter Taylor Werner, an All-American at the University of Arkansas and now with Puma.

The secret to Jett’s success? It was a combination of learning from successful cross country coaches such as West Plains’ Joe Bill Dixon (MSHOF 2001), Festus’ Bryant Wright, Potosi’s Steve Davis and Cape Notre Dame’s Bill Davis.

Dedication? Jett’s teams had 6 a.m. practices daily, followed by breakfast in his classroom. He instituted high-mileage training, and athletes attended Dixon’s summer running camp.

“I wasn’t blessed with large numbers,” Jett said. “But most of the athletes were very intelligent and their work ethic was extraordinary.”

In girls track, the 2013 team won a state title, while the 2015 and 2016 teams both were runner-up. The 2014 team placed third. They also won three conference and 11 district titles. Boys track teams earned a 1997 state runner-up and three conference and two district titles.

Jett was a seven-time Coach of the Year by the Missouri Track and Cross Country Coaches Association, and was the National Federation High School Coaches Association Sectional Coach of the Year.

That said, he is quick to say his success was only because of athletes and assistant coaches Chris Werner, Russ Toombs, John Boyd, Jr. and Al Engleman.

He also had the support of his wife, Dina, and stepsons David and Daniel.

“I was so blessed to have the career I did,” Jett said. “A lot of people would dream of having the success  my program had.”