Responsibilities
- Coaches pole vault for the men's and women's track & field teams
Coaching History
- He has been at BYU since 2019 as a volunteer assistant coach working with the pole vaulters. In just four short years, his athletes have produced 13 All-American performances. These All-Americans consist of his son Zach McWhorter (five-time All-American), Caleb Witsken (five-time All-American), Cailee Faulkner (two-time All-American) and Elise Romney.
- He started the USATF XGravity Vault Club and has also been an assistant track coach at HarBer High School in Springdale, Arkansas for eight years. His high school athletes have earned nine Arkansas state pole vault titles as well as three USATF national titles.
Track & Field History
- McWhorter competed on the BYU track and field team from 1991-1994 in the pole vault. During his time at BYU he was the WAC champion with a personal best mark of 5.41m (17’9”). He still remained on the top 10 all-time BYU record board when he arrived in 2019 but has since been knocked off the board by his athletes.
Years at BYU
- 2019-present
Education
- Residency (Penn State Geisinger Medical Center, completed in 2003)
- MD Medicine (University of Texas, 1998)
- BS Human Biology (BYU, 1994)
Mission
- Barranquilla, Colombia (1987-1989)
Personal/Family
- He has four grown children — Jacob (wife Emily), Madeleine Tullis (husband Benton), Zach and Charlotte. He spends his free time babysitting his two granddaughters Hazel Jane and Eloise, fly fishing and traveling around the globe.
Coach Rick McWhorter has been with the program since 2019 as a volunteer assistant coach working with the pole vaulters. In just four short years, his athletes have produced 13 All-American performances. His son Zach McWhorter (five-time All-American), Caleb Witsken (five-time All-American), Cailee Faulkner (two-time All-American) and Elise Romney are a few among these 10 athletes.
His son Zach McWhorter (graduated in April 2022) holds the indoor and outdoor school records of 5.85m (19’2.5”) and 5.76m(18’10.75”) respectively. His 5.85m jump is also the highest jump in the world for a lefthanded vaulter.
The BYU Men's Vault Squad has been ranked among the top three programs in the country by the United States Track and Field Coaches Association. The BYU Women's Vault Squad has been ranked in the top 15.
McWhorter competed on the BYU track and field team from 1991-1994 in the pole vault. During his time at BYU he was the WAC champion with a personal best mark of 5.41m (17’9”). He still remained on the top 10 all-time BYU record board when he arrived in 2019 but has since been knocked off the board by his athletes.
Coaching has always been his passion. He started the USATF XGravity Vault Club and has also been an assistant track coach at HarBer High School in Springdale, Arkansas for 8 years. His high school athletes have earned nine Arkansas state pole vault titles as well as three USATF national titles.
He served a mission in Barranquilla, Colombia from 1987-1989. In 1994 he completed his undergraduate degree in human biology at BYU. He then graduated from the University of Texas School of Medicine in 1998. He finished his surgical training in Urology at Penn State Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania in 2003. He has moved his medical practice to Provo and works for Intermountain Utah Valley Urology Clinic.
He has four grown children—Jacob (wife Emily), Madeleine Tullis (husband Benton), Zach, and Charlotte. He spends his free time babysitting his two granddaughters Hazel Jane and Eloise, fly fishing, and traveling around the globe.