WKU News

Richard Gutierrez of Huntingburg, Indiana, was crowned Western Kentucky University’s 2026 Coming Home King on Saturday night.

Gutierrez, the son of Ricardo and Maria Gutierrez, is a Healthcare Administration major and was sponsored by Alpha Tau Omega. He was one of 20 candidates who were recognized at halftime of the WKU vs. MTSU basketball game at Diddle Arena.

First runner-up was Malachi Humble of Russellville, the son of April and Dustin Cowan, and the late Matthew Humble. He is a Marketing and Spanish major and was sponsored by Phi Mu.

Second runner-up was Demani Bell of Danville, the son of Decarla and Maurice Bell. He is a Performing Arts and Musical Theater major with a minor in Arts Administration and American Sign Language and was sponsored by Kappa Delta.

• More: List of 2026 Coming Home King Candidates

Contact: Amelia Kolb, (270) 745-5791

-WKU-

Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.