Thomas K. Tellez (born 1933) is a renowned track and field (athletics) coach, noted in particular because of his contributions to the sport in the areas of kinesiology, physiology and biomechanics.
Tellez attended Whittier College as a student athlete and started coaching in the military in the 1950s. He then coached at Buena Park High School and Whittier High School in California. He soon moved on to coaching positions at Fullerton Junior College in California, and next for UCLA, where he was the field events coach. In 1976 he became the head coach at the University of Houston, where he ran the program until the late 1990s. During the 1980s and 1990s Tellez also doubled as a coach for the Santa Monica Track Club, which produced some of the world's leading competitors. [1]
His most notable athlete was long jumper and sprinter Carl Lewis. [2]
Tellez has also coached such world class track and field athletes as Leroy Burrell, Mike Marsh, Kirk Baptiste, Joe DeLoach, Carol Lewis, Willie Banks, Mike Tully, Michelle Finn-Burrell, Frank Rutherford, and many others. [2]
Tellez had many of his research papers published in coaching journals, and helped design coaching education throughout the world. He was the head coach of the United States Track and Field team at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo.
Tellez is semi-retired from coaching but still holds clinics and consults with active coaches. [3] [4]
The Tom Tellez Track at Carl Lewis International Complex at the University of Houston is named after Tellez. He was Inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame, Class of 2011. [5]
In 2016, Tellez was awarded the Legend Coach Award by USA Track & Field. [1] [6]
Frederick Carlton Lewis is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold. His career spanned from 1979 to 1996, when he last won an Olympic event. He is one of only six Olympic athletes who won a gold medal in the same individual event in four consecutive Olympic Games.
Rafer Lewis Johnson was an American decathlete and film actor. He was the 1960 Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon, having won silver in 1956. He had previously won a gold in the 1955 Pan American Games. He was the USA team's flag bearer at the 1960 Olympics and lit the Olympic cauldron at the Los Angeles Games in 1984.
Leroy Russel Burrell is an American former track and field athlete, who twice set the world record for the 100 m sprint.
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The Houston Cougars are the athletic teams representing the University of Houston. Informally, the Houston Cougars have also been referred to as the Coogs, UH, or simply Houston. Houston's nickname was suggested by early physical education instructor of the university and former head football coach, John R. Bender after one of his former teams, Washington State later adopted the mascot and nickname. The teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and the Football Bowl Subdivision as members of the American Athletic Conference.
Payton Jordan was the head coach of the 1968 United States Olympic track and field team, one of the most powerful track teams ever assembled, which won a record twenty-four medals, including twelve golds. He was born in Whittier, California. Jordan was exceedingly successful as a collegiate track coach for a decade at Occidental College and for 23 years at Stanford University. A star three-sport athlete in his youth, Jordan more recently became one of the most dominant track athletes of all time, as a sprinter, in senior divisions. Jordan died of cancer at his home in Laguna Hills, California on February 5, 2009.
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Dawn C. Burrell is an American chef and retired long jumper. She won the gold medal at the 2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships and represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics. In her culinary career, she was a semifinalist in 2020 for a James Beard Foundation Award. Burrell is the younger sister of former 100 m world record holder Leroy Burrell.
Carol LeGrant Lewis is an American former track and field athlete who specialized in the long jump. She is the 1983 World Championship bronze medalist, and a 4-time US Champion. Her best long jump of 7.04 meters in 1985 is the former American record. She is the sister of 9-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, and former professional soccer player Cleveland Lewis. She is also the daughter of retired American hurdler Evelyn Lawler.
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The Oregon Ducks track and field program is the intercollegiate track and field team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference. The team participates in indoor and outdoor track and field as well as cross country. Known as the Ducks, Oregon's first track and field team was fielded in 1895. The team holds its home meets at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Jerry Schumacher is the current head coach and since the program's inception in 1895, there have only been eight permanent head coaches. The Ducks claim 32 NCAA National Championships among the three disciplines.
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