Huffins out at Cal

Hey did you miss the other thread? It didn't have spoilers like yours though.

BERKELEY - Chris Huffins has resigned his post as California director of track and field effective after the upcoming NCAA Championships, California athletic director Sandy Barbour announced today. Huffins is in his fifth year at the helm of the Golden Bears program.

Huffins, a former NCAA champion for Cal and Olympic bronze medalist for the United States in the decathlon, began coaching at Cal in 2003. Eleven of his athletes automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships at the recent NCAA West Regional, which ran May 25-26 in Eugene, Ore., and five more qualified as at-large entrants.

The NCAA Championships are scheduled for June 6-9 in Sacramento.

"We thank Chris Huffins for his efforts on behalf of Cal track and field," Barbour said. "The Bears have made significant strides during his five years in Berkeley. This year in particular they have produced some excellent results, including Alysia Johnson's NCAA championship in the 800 and David Torrence's school record in the mile. We will miss Chris and wish him well in his future endeavors."

As an athlete, Huffins scored a school-record 8,007 points to win his NCAA decathlon title in 1993. That record still stands. He also won the Pac-10 decathlon title in 1993. He is ranked No. 2 in the long jump on Cal's all-time list with a mark of 26-3.50 set in 1993. In addition, he was honored with the Pac-10 Medal that same year.

In 1991, Huffins won the Pac-10 triple jump title with a mark of 52-11.50, which ranks him seventh all time at Cal.

He won his bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

"I am grateful to Cal for giving me the opportunity to be the director of track and field and cross country," Huffins said. "I am a Golden Bear, and the opportunity to coach your alma mater is unbelievable. The Cal spirit is strong, and I am sure that the Bears will do as a great a job after my tenure as they did during. A part of me will always bleed blue and gold."

Cal will conduct a national search to replace Huffins, Barbour added.

Think they'll get a college graduate to replace him?

And what about the rest of the staff?

Brook Turner and Alison Stokke on the Cal Track team. Holy Jesus ! Babe Central ;-)

grate is right. And at first i thought that was a typo...

Huffins was a great athlete but after being in the program I can say confidently that his "resignation" couldn't have come soon enough. Without airing some dirty laundry I really don’t think there are many head coaches who would resign right before NCs especially considering that interview with Alysia was just printed talking about what a great job he was doing. That man is a creep and quite possibly one of the worst people, let alone coach, I know. Everybody at Cal knew it. At the risk of sounding trite ‘what goes around comes around.’ Good riddance.

Share more please!

why is out?moving to LSU probably???

Who do you think is taking over?

Huffins sucks! good riddance!!

The whole staff sucks!Just keep little Tony..

Can you say NCAA violations????!!!! I'm positive that this resignation must have come due to Cal not wanting to have any troubles with the NCAA. Huffins brought only mediocrity and controversy to that program. I'm sure a more competent person will be hired for the job, and I'm sure they won't be hired just because they were successful athletes back in the day. I feel bad for all the talent that lies in that program that will have to deal with this mess.

that's right...

Not going to lie: wasn't a huge Huffins fan--I'm not sad to see him fired.

a program like Cal needs a real head coach.not a former Olympian.

ex-bear wrote:

Huffins was a great athlete but after being in the program I can say confidently that his "resignation" couldn't have come soon enough. Without airing some dirty laundry I really don’t think there are many head coaches who would resign right before NCs especially considering that interview with Alysia was just printed talking about what a great job he was doing. That man is a creep and quite possibly one of the worst people, let alone coach, I know. Everybody at Cal knew it. At the risk of sounding trite ‘what goes around comes around.’ Good riddance.

Let me echo your sentiments.

His profanity-laced "motivational" speeches and piss-poor treatment of non-sprinters on the team was inexcusable.

Not to mention that the team has underperformed (remember, in 2004 Cal has TFNs #1 recruiting class). I will say that the distance runners are doing pretty well lately (not that Huffins had any part in that).

(Note: I am not against the use of profanity, just Huffins didn't know any other way to get people "fired up" outside of dropping F-bombs. His invectives got old fast.)

right on bro!

Ed Miller is a great multi-events coach.

Allison Stokke came to Cal in part because they hired her pole vault coach Scott Slover.

Tony's middle distance runners have been rolling for over ten years. There have been some bright spots in the distances in track.

That is why I said keep Tony.Scott was a great pole vaulter, and that's it; Stokke has only jumped 12 feet this year.

Ed Miller is a great coach but remember: he stepped down from head coaching because he is thinking of retirement.

That program needs ''remodelling''..

Go Bears!

Good Riddance!

Hire me!pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

yeah i met that guy once...i couldn't believe he was actually a coach..