Hall of fame track coach dies
Posted: Saturday November 07, 1998 04:09 PM
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Wright was blamed for two U.S. sprinters not getting to the starting line in time for the 1972 Olympic Games AP |
HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- Hall of Famer Stan Wright, the coach blamed for
two U.S. sprinters failing to reach the starting line in time for
the 1972 Olympic Games, is dead at the age of 78.
Wright died Friday night at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, his
daughter, Toni Hartfield, said. He had been hospitalized since
Sunday.
"His kidneys just shut down," Hartfield said. "He had had
dialysis treatments four times since he was in the hospital."
Wright had been ill for many years. About 12-15 years ago, he
had a heart bypass operation, Hartfield said.
His death came only two days after the death of his cousin,
Larry Ellis, coach of the 1984 U.S. Olympic men's track and field
team and a former president of USA Track & Field.
Wright, a track and field coach and administrator for more than
40 years who had several international coaching assignments, was an
assistant in charge of the sprinters for the great 1968 U.S.
Olympic team. His athletes won six gold medals, three silvers and
four bronzes while setting five world records.
Four years later, after being passed up for the head coaching
job, Wright again was an assistant, responsible for the sprinters.
This time, his 100-meter team consisted of Rey Robinson, Eddie
Hart and Robert Taylor. All three got through the first-round heats
the morning of Aug. 31, and the second round, the quarterfinals,
were to begin that day at 4:15 p.m. Munich time.
At that time, the three had not yet arrived at the stadium.
Wright, working from an outdated schedule, thought the
quarterfinals were to begin at 7 p.m. By the time he and the
athletes realized the mistake, it was too late for Robinson, in
heat one, and Hart, in heat two, to run and they were disqualified.
Taylor, in heat three, barely made his race and eventually got the
silver medal, behind Valery Borzov of the Soviet Union.
Wright, who was elected to the National Track and Field Hall of
Fame at Indianapolis in 1993, achieved his greatest coaching feats
at Texas Southern. His teams often dominated the Texas, Drake and
Kansas relays, and he coached four Olympians, including Jim Hines,
the former world record-holder in the 100 meters and also a Hall of
Famer.
After leaving Texas Southern in 1967, Wright coached at Western
Illinois for two years, before going to Cal State-Sacramento. He
left there in 1979 to become athletic director at Fairleigh
Dickinson.
Wright also served many years with the U.S. Olympic Committee
and track and field's national governing body. He was chairman of
the governing body's budget and finance committee from 1980-1989
and treasurer from 1989-92.
When Ellis was USATF president, Wright was his special
assistant.
Ollan Cassell, USATF's executive director when Ellis and Wright
worked under him, said of Wright, "I think the greatest
achievement Stan had was the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He held
that team together. Each event he was responsible for got a gold
medal. His biggest disappointment was when he wasn't elected head
coach of the '72 team."
"He was one of the best guys I ever knew," USATF spokesman
Pete Cava said.
Wright was born August 11, 1920, in Englewood, New Jersey.
His wife, Hazel, died in October 1997. In addition to Hartfield,
he is survived by two children, Sandra Robinson and Tyran Wright;
two sisters, Charlotte Eddings and Mary Whitehead; five
grandchildren, and one great grandson.
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