Turns out Joe Kovacs’ secret weapon for clinching that jaw-dropping Diamond League shot put title (with a monster 22.91m heave—third farthest in history!) wasn’t just grit… it was his wife and coach, Ashley Kovacs, screaming splits from the sidelines while probably texting babysitter updates about their twins.

This isn’t your average track romance. Ashley’s a former elite thrower turned coaching phenom who’s sculpted NCAA champs at Vanderbilt and Ohio State—all while turning her Ohio backyard into a pro training ground (yes, they built a shot put ring steps from their porch). She’s the architect behind Joe’s resurrection from career slump to global podiums, the twin-wrangling mom who analyzes throw biomechanics during nap time, and the reason has a whole new meaning in athletics. Forget the sidelines—here’s the woman redefining the couple’s goals in track and field.

Who is Ashley Muffet Kovacs?

Born in North Canton, Ohio, Ashley was a throwing phenom by age 12. At Hoover High School, she smashed state records and won three shot put titles, then dominated at the University of Kentucky as a 4x All-American and 2010 NCAA shot put runner-up. Though she competed at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Trials, her true genius emerged in coaching.

Her secret weapon? Relentless analytics. As a biomechanics nerd (with master’s degrees in sports science), she dissects throws frame-by-frame—a skill that saved Joe’s career when he bombed at 2019’s Columbus meet. Off the track? She’s a twin mom who bakes sourdough and jokes, “I married Joe so I’d always have a training partner.”

What is Ashley Muffet Kovacs’ Profession?

Ashley isn’t just a coach—she’s a transformational force in throwing. After developing her skills at Murray State and Western Kentucky, she took over Ohio State’s program in 2014 and spent seven years turning it into a throws powerhouse. Under her guidance, Buckeyes athletes piled up trophies, including 2 NCAA champions (shot put queen Adelaide Aquilla and weight throw phenom Sade Olatoye), a blazing 15 Big Ten titles, and earned Ashley herself 3 Regional Coach of the Year awards. Her real genius lies in spotting diamonds in the rough, exemplified by taking Adelaide Aquilla, ranked 20th nationally in 2020, overhauling her technique and mentality to become the 2021 NCAA champion. That same transformative magic now fuels her role as Associate Head Coach at Vanderbilt, where she’s already breaking records with standouts like Divine Oladipo, all while privately coaching her husband Joe from their backyard shot put ring.

How Did Kovacs And Ashley Muffet Kovacs Meet?

Their love story starts with a priest and a shot put. In 2017, Father Joe (a family friend) told Joe, “You should date this thrower from Ohio.” Ashley already knew of Joe—they’d crossed paths at college meets (him at Penn State, her at Kentucky).

They finally connected post–U.S. Championships that summer. By fall, Joe moved to Ohio; by November 2018, they married. But the game-changer came in 2019: after Joe’s career nosedived, Ashley took over as his coach. Eight months later, he won World Championship gold in Doha with a clutch 22.91m throw—hugging her while screaming, “This is OUR win!”

Ashley’s not chasing personal throws anymore—she’s too busy launching legacies. Fresh off coaching Joe to Olympic silver and a jaw-dropping world-leading 23.13m throw (May 2024), she’s prepping him to crush Ryan Crouser’s world record ahead of LA 2028. But her impact stretches far beyond her husband: as Team USA’s women’s throws coach in Paris, she mentored the next gen of American shot put stars, and through THROvacs—the camp empire she runs with Joe—she’s rewriting the future of the sport.

This fall, catch them teaching grassroots giants at camps in Middletown, NY (Oct 11–12) and Fort Collins, CO (Nov 8–9). Because for Ashley, greatness isn’t just about medals—it’s about turning backyards into launchpads and showing every kid with a shot put that heart + hustle = legacy.