Last summer, Ankeny boys’ track coach Jordan Mullen got a phone call from Mike Jay, the voice of the Drake Relays and the coed state track meet.
The reason for the call was not what Mullen expected.
“I just thought it was to say congrats for the state title, but it was to tell me I was inducted into the Hall of Fame!” recalled Mullen. “I was caught off guard and couldn’t be more happy, thankful and humbled! I try not to talk about myself much, but getting to be inducted into the IATC Hall of Fame is something that is amazing! I couldn’t be more happy to be a part of the group that has already made it! This sport has given and taught me so much!
“It was a complete surprise to me, I won’t lie to you,” he added.
Mullen will be inducted into the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Hall of Fame on Saturday. The IATC winter banquet will be held at The Gateway Hotel in Ames.
Mullen is one of the most decorated hurdlers in Iowa track history. He was a three-time Class 3A champion and a two-time Drake Relays champ in the 110 hurdles at Atlantic High School, where he was a part of four state title teams.
Mullen, who held the all-time Iowa best of 13.80 seconds in the 110 hurdles for 10 years, was also a collegiate standout at Iowa. He currently holds the program’s No. 5 fastest time ever in the 60 hurdles.
Mullen won two Big Ten titles and was a two-time all-American during his college career. He was a four-time letterwinner for the Hawkeyes.
Mullen coached at his alma mater before coming to Ankeny in 2023. He guided Atlantic to three consecutive Hawkeye Ten crowns and led the Trojans to a pair of top-three finishes in the Class 3A state meet.
“I got into coaching from one of my good friends, Alan Jenkins,” Mullen said. “I did not know what I was getting into at the time, but after I was coaching I realized I got into it to give back to the sport and be a positive person in kids’ lives! I have always told my boys I want to be the best part of their day for the three months out of the year!”
In his first season at Ankeny, Mullen guided the Hawks to a runner-up finish in Class 4A. The team then won back-to-back state titles in 2024-25.
“My athletes I have gotten to coach so far will never know what they give back to me!” Mullen said. “I truly love the sport of track and field and just want to be able to be around it and help kids achieve their goals and create memories they will never forget! I have found out if we all care and believe in each other great things can happen and more than a team is created!”