Track and field has rarely, if ever, been at the top of Mike Hamilton's worry list as Tennessee's men's athletic director.
Now Hamilton has to hire a new head coach to keep it that way.
Bill Webb announced his retirement on Monday, effective after the NCAA meet in June.
Hamilton said he wants to have a new coach in place by the time the team arrives for the fall semester.
Longtime assistant George Watts is acting as interim head coach and has Webb's recommendation to take over full-time.
"We've been blessed,'' Hamilton said Tuesday. "We've won as many championships in track as any sport we field.
"Rarely, if ever, has track been a problem on or off the track. They always make good grades and do the right thing in the community.
"We have to find someone who can keep the tradition of Tennessee track at a high level.''
Replacing Webb will be Hamilton's fifth coaching search.
In each of the previous four, he chose someone with head-coaching experience - although new football coach Lane Kiffin had the briefest head-coaching resume among the leading candidates.
"Head-coaching experience gives you an indication of how he will perform in that role,'' Hamilton said. "But I'm not locked into that by any stretch of the imagination.
"I'm more concerned about finding the right fit.''
Hamilton and Chris Fuller, his aide who oversees track and field, will begin vetting candidates in preparation for conversations at the NCAA meet in Fayetteville, Ark., June 10-13.
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Comments » 8
teampenny#658108 writes:
It would be nice since we spend the most money on sports in SEC we could win all sports trophy. That is the real indication how well your athletic department is doing-not how many Championships Pat Summit has won. Where would we be will out her success. Average at best. Go Vols
MaxPower writes:
Hamilton hired the baseball coach and the basketball coach, despite what MagicMan says. Hamilton's predecessor would have kept Buzz around another year.
panties4tebow writes:
This is national DO NOT RESPOND TO A TROLL DAY!!!!!!
Attention is what they crave so please do not help their cause today - let them go hungry for today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Refrain, Refrain, Refrain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Don't imagine any former coaches in any sports would be interested.
Moost writes:
I saw the headline and got excited. Unfortunately he is not looking for a new baseballs coach.
QCVol writes:
He should take a look at Lawrence Johnson...former UT Pole Vault champion and 2 time Olympian....He's coaching at USC (South Carolina)....Damn shame our own hometown hero is coaching at a rival school...bring him back home Mike!!
BillVol writes:
QC, could LoJo land recruits in events other than the vault? And does he have the expertise to coach athletes those other events, even with his background in the decathlon?
b_neas writes:
Raleigh has done fine with the crappy hand he was dealt. DelMonico knew he was leaving after his boys were out of college and he treated it that way. The APR score was devastated by DelMonico where Raleigh basically has a team full of walk ons paying their own way in school. DelMonico needs to be slapped for the shape he left the baseball program in.
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