Shalane Flanagan is joining the Oregon Ducks track and field staff, and Curtis Taylor stays on
New Coach Jerry Schumacher’s Oregon track and field staff is coming together with two assistant coaching hires announced this week.
Neither need much introduction.
Curtis Taylor, an associate head coach under former coach Robert Johnson for nine seasons, will continue to lead the Ducks’ sprinters, hurdlers and relay teams.
Shalane Flanagan, a four-time Olympian and New York City Marathon champion, is following Schumacher to Eugene after being his assistant coach with the Portland-based Bowerman Track Club for the past three years.
Flanagan, 41, will coach the Ducks’ men’s and women’s distance teams.
"Shalane will be a phenomenal addition to our staff," said Schumacher in a statement released by Oregon. "Her accomplishments speak for themselves, and her seamless transition into coaching has been exceptional. Most importantly, she will be an amazing resource and mentor for our student-athletes as they navigate both their athletic careers and lives off the track. Shalane has the experience, drive and compassion to be an outstanding leader for our student-athletes, and I can't wait to see the impact she will have on our team.”
Flanagan was a U.S. Olympian in 2004 and 2008 in the 10,000 meters, winning silver in Beijing. She then made the 2012 and 2016 Olympic teams in the marathon, finishing in the top-10 both times.
In 2017, Flanagan was victorious in the New York City Marathon, ending a 40-year drought for American women.
“I hope to be a coach who teaches healthy habits for life,” Flanagan wrote on Instagram. “One who exhibits empathy and builds confidence. One who instills belief in those who don’t yet trust themselves to realize their own potential. I want my team to feel how much I care about them as athletes, but most importantly as humans.”
Flanagan was a three-time NCAA champion and 15-time all-American for North Carolina (2000-03). She won national titles in cross country in 2002 and 2003, and was the NCAA indoor champion in the 3,000 in 2003.
In 2016, Flanagan and college teammate Elyse Kopecky co-authored a cook book, "Run Fast. Eat Slow" that became a New York Times best seller.
“The young athletes in the NCAA arena have been my #1 source of inspiration as I have pursued authoring my cookbooks (with my bff @elysekopecky)," Flanagan wrote. “I’ve held onto the goal of changing the narrative surrounding relationships with young women and men in running and food, showing that indulging in nourishment can help you become a better, healthier and happier athlete. Now I get the chance to put that inspiration into action.”
Taylor is a three-time USTFCCCA national assistant coach of the year who has coached Oregon athletes to eight individual NCAA titles, 26 Pac-12 titles and several NCAA records.
"Curtis has been one of the most successful coaches in the NCAA over the past decade," Schumacher said. "His work with the sprint, hurdles and relay group at Oregon has produced incredible results and I'm ecstatic that he will continue that work with our student-athletes. I know Curtis will continue to be an exceptional leader for our program and look forward to working together to keep building on that success.”
Taylor’s proteges dominate Oregon’s all-time top-10 lists, with his athletes holding the school record in the men’s and women’s 100 (Micah Williams and Kemba Nelson), 200 (Cravon Gillespie, Deajah Stevens), 100 hurdles (Alaysha Johnson), 110 hurdles (Devon Allen), 400 hurdles (Jonathan Harvey, Shana Grebo), 4x100 relays and women’s 4x400 relay.
Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com.
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This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Shalane Flanagan and Curtis Taylor will be on Oregon Track staff
