O'Neal, Young Added To Track & Field Staff
CORAL GABLES, Fla.- Gavin O’Neal and Cory Young have been added to the Miami Hurricanes track andfield coaching staff effective immediately, Director of Track and Field/CrossCountry Amy Deem announced Friday. O’Neal joins the program after a six-yearstretch at Columbia, while Young was at Kentucky last season.
O’Neal and Young join assistant coach Damon Griffiths and operations coordinator Joy Ekema-Agbaw on Deem’s staff.
“We are very excited about these twoadditions to the staff,” Deem said. “Both come highly recommended and we lookforward to achieving more great things at Miami.”
O’Neal, the 2010 and 2011 United StatesTrack and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Northeast RegionalWomen’s Assistant Coach of the Year, will be responsible for jumps and combinedevents at UM. During his six-year tenure at Columbia, he helped the program to alitany of accomplishments, including helping the team win its first indoor IvyLeague title in 2012.
“I am very excited to be here at theUniversity of Miami and look forward to working with Coach Deem,” O’Neal said.”This is one of the best universities in the country and I am eager to workwith and get to know the student-athletes of the track and field team.”
A native Rocky River, Ohio, he recruitedand coached numerous student-athletes to individual success as well with theLions, aiding Erison Hurtault to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing aftercoaching him to his personal bests in appearances at the Indoor and OutdoorNCAA Championships. During his time with the Lions, he guided five NCAAAll-Americans, nine NCAA national qualifiers, 22 NCAA regional qualifiers, 38conference champions and 44 school records were set.
O’Neal graduated from Ohio University in1999 with a bachelor’s degree in sport science and was a two-time cross countryteam captain for the Bobcats. He received his master’s degree in sportsadministration from Kent State in 2004. He has also coached at Oberlin (Ohio)College and Williams College.
“Miami has had a long tradition ofoutstanding jumpers and finding the right person was vital,” Deem said. “I wasimpressed with the body of work Coach O’Neal had at Columbia and feel he willhave tremendous success not only with our current jumpers, but also recruitingoutstanding student-athletes to our program.”
Young joins the staff after spending2011-12 at the University of Kentucky and will serve as the throws coach at UM.With the Wildcats, he coached two athletes to All-America status at the 2012NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and guided the SEC discus championand school-record javelin thrower.
Prior to UK, he worked five years at GrandValley State, helping the Lakers win the 2011 NCAA Division II National IndoorTrack & Field Championships. During his tenure, GVSU throwers totaled 33All-America honors and four national championships, while rewriting the schooltop-10 lists.
“I am extremely excited to be a part of theUniversity of Miami track and field program,” Young said. “Coach Deem has donegreat things for the student-athletes and the University. I look forward toworking alongside a coach with her knowledge and expertise.
“I am also excited to work with anextremely motivated group of student-athletes and embrace the opportunity tocoach and recruit athletes that will continue to compete for ACC Championshipsas well as NCAA Championships.”
Before arriving at Grand Valley State,Young was formerly the throws coach at perennial national contender WesternState College. He additionally taught weight training courses amongst otherduties.
He graduated from the University ofIndianapolis is 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems.Young was a two-time All-American in the weight throw and was a two-timeoutdoor national qualifier in the hammer and discus. He is a native ofGreenwood, Ind.
“We are committed to having a top-levelthrows program and I am excited to have Coach Young leading that charge,” Deemsaid. “He brings enthusiasm, knowledge and experience and will be a greataddition to the track and field staff.”
For all the latestinformation on the Miami Hurricanes, follow the official Twitter feed,@HurricaneSports, or “Like Us” on Facebook atfacebook.com/MiamiHurricanes. Follow @MiamiTrack on Twitter for specific newson UM track and field and cross country.
