Wollman Steps Down After 28 Years At SMU Track & Field Helm

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Dave Wollman Steps Down After 28 Years At SMU Track & Field Helm
Legendary Coach Announces Retirement To Pursue Other Opportunities

June 1, 2015

DALLAS (SMU) - SMU Track & Field Head Coach Dave Wollman announced that he will retire after 28 years at the helm of the Mustang program. Wollman, who began his tenure on the Hilltop in 1988, built and sustained one of the top collegiate track & field programs in the country. Among his numerous accolades and honors are a combined 69 NCAA Championship appearances, 16 NCAA Top-10 finishes, among these teams were eight teams who made the podium and earned top four NCAA Championship trophies. His Mustang athletes have won hundreds of All-American awards, won 34 NCAA Individual titles, broke seven Collegiate records, and included 20 Olympians, representing 12 different countries. Several of these athletes have gone on to win Olympic, World Championship and World Cup medals. Add this success to his accumulation from previous stints at Stanford University and Purdue University and his career has few peers and lands him among the elite coaches in Track and Field history.

"It has been a privilege to coach every single young man and woman who chose to put on those three letters every weekend," said Wollman. "My sense of SMU from the very beginning has always been we have a University faculty who are passionate, talented, and love to teach. This core tenet produces a rich educational environment for everyone to pursue excellence and my student-athletes took full advantage. I could not be more proud of each of them throughout the 28 years."

This season, Wollman guided the women's team to an American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championship for the second consecutive year. Last year, SMU won both the indoor and outdoor conference championships.

"Dave Wollman has left an indelible mark on SMU Athletics," said SMU Director of Athletics Rick Hart. "He has built a program that consistently contends for championships and one that always represents SMU in a first-class manner, but he has also made an impact beyond his own program. He helped design and start our student-athlete development program, which led to SMU's Center for the Academic Development of Student-Athletes (ADSA) and has been a valuable addition to our Senior Staff, serving as a voice for our coaches. We are grateful for his many contributions and wish him the best."

For his career accomplishments, Wollman received the title of "Master Coach" the highest level a coach can earn from both the U.S. Track & Field Coaches Association - and the European Coaches association, one of only three U.S. Coaches to receive both honors. Wollman has also been enshrined into the University of Indianapolis Hall of Fame, Indiana Track and Field Hall of Fame and the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame.

Wollman's success is widely recognized in the track & field community, as he has been selected to speak at a variety of clinics all over the world.

"I have had a good run, but it's time to bring my best friend and spouse, Shelley, out of the wings and into the top position," said Wollman. "I've always appreciated her love and support of the student-athletes and SMU. I'm looking forward to developing a consulting business of technical analysis and motor pattern development in all sports as well as mentoring young coaches. I have often helped coaches from all levels analyze video and help them set up progressive motor pattern learning plans. I hope to expand this to include athletes and coaches at all levels all over the world. I'm excited about the next chapter and hope to continue making a positive impact."

Current SMU cross country head coach Cathy Casey will be promoted to head coach of the track & field team.

[Otto]

Great for him, but for SMU, this sucks. He is a great coach in every measurable sense of the word.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Sorry to hear he is leaving. He has done some amazing things at SMU.