Webb retires from UT

[harvtrack]

Webb Retires as Tennessee Track and Field Head Coach

May 18, 2009

Bill Webb, who has spent the last 24 years with the Tennessee men's track and field program, announced Monday he is retiring as head coach at the end of the 2009 season.
"I'm proud of being a part of the great track and field tradition at Tennessee," Webb said. "I have many fond memories of working with such fine coaches and athletes at this University."
Rest of article can be found at utsports.com

[BillVol]

I thank him for his service but perhaps it was time. But no doubt he did a good job. Two national titles is not bad.

I would like to see us get back to our roots of distance running and, of course, sprinting. You can do a lot more damage with a few good sprinters and distance runners. Also, this would revive our cross country program, which is dead.

Wonder who we'll wind up with as new coach?

http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-track/ ... 09aae.html

[justblaze1011]

Wow, great coach. They need to bring in Coach Anderson as the head man...just my opinion!!

[jeremyp]

Phew!! For a second there I thought Alan had stopped being a Mormon!

[BillVol]

New article by Mike Strange about Webb's departure.

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2009/may ... -seasons-/

Meanwhile, jeremyp will be at the Punchline this weekend...

[knite]

Wow, great coach. They need to bring in Coach Anderson as the head man...just my opinion!!

AGREED!!!!

[ndamix]

Too bad Coach Webb is sailing off into the sunset on his boat...I would love to see him come back home (to Greenbelt, MD) and see what he could do with Eleanor Roosevelt HS (not like they're having problems winning major titles).

Just a magic genie wish.

Best wishes for a happy retirement.

[gh]

I have zero inside knowledge, but knowing Bill's passion for the sport, I'm thinking he'll end up as a valued throws assistant somewhere, doing what he does best and not having to a "general manager" anymore, since that's basically what head coaches are these days. Very little actual coaching involved in too many cases.

[26mi235]

It reminds me of the choice of the Minnesota coach to move to the D3 program an hour south of Minn-StP.

[BillVol]

Vol AD looking for new coach:

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2009/may ... new-coach/

[gh]

Fallout: Florida sprint superstar Dentarius Locke says he wants out too with no Webb. Story on front page.

[BillVol]

Norbert would seem to be a top candidate to be our next coach. He would rake in all the Caribbean talent as well as top US talent. If he's named coach, you can kiss our (formerly) famous distance program good-bye for the time being. But we likely would be hard to beat elsewhere. As much as I miss our being good in the distances, as long as we could contend for NCAA championships in TnF, I'd be willing to sacrifice. Besides, anything over 400 meters in this country is a joke anyhow. Sprints, jumps, throws -- that's all that really counts. They don't have cross country in the Olympics.

[ndamix]

Norbert would seem to be a top candidate to be our next coach. He would rake in all the Caribbean talent as well as top US talent. If he's named coach, you can kiss our (formerly) famous distance program good-bye for the time being. But we likely would be hard to beat elsewhere. As much as I miss our being good in the distances, as long as we could contend for NCAA championships in TnF, I'd be willing to sacrifice. Besides, anything over 400 meters in this country is a joke anyhow. Sprints, jumps, throws -- that's all that really counts. They don't have cross country in the Olympics.

Ahhh...but there's a movement afloat, led by Kenenisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie, and Paul Tergat, to have it reinstated to the Olympic program:

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/sports/olym ... unners.htm

[knite]

Wow, great coach. They need to bring in Coach Anderson as the head man...just my opinion!!

They better work their magic and get him quick cuz they sure got a VERY NICE class coming in next yr!

[James Fields]

Webb retires from UT

knite has kindly responded to my private request for details about "Anderson" suggested by justblaze1011 as a possible candidate to succeed Coach Webb at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

see http://www.aggieathletics.com/sports...n_vince00.html