Alford-Sullivan to coach both Men's & Women's Program at PSU

The other 70+ year old coach has set his heart on retiring as the longest serving PSU coach, he can't do that while Harry's still around, so Harry was 'encouraged' to move on.

Harry was here for 38 years? So he's have started in 1968. The "other" 70+ coach started in 1950.

Hearing the events that recently happened at PSU, we will gladly accept all of you that want to transfer.

WAAAAHHHH! wrote:

If you don't think like me you're acting like children! WAAAAHHHH! Wahhh!

She doesn't deserve the job. It may be negative but it's a fact.

a lot of people in this world didn't deserve their jobs, and a lot more of them are men.

Wow - I sure am glad Harry did't recruit me and I went to Pitt. I may not have been a great runner, but at least I have a good command of the English language.I did love talking with Harry and his stories!

Positivity Please wrote:

Wether or not Coach Sullivan is qualified because of her past accomplishments or because she is a woman is a mute piont.

HRE wrote:

Harry was here for 38 years? So he's have started in 1968. The "other" 70+ coach started in 1950.

Paterno's first year at head coach was 1966.

But his first year as COACH was 1950. He came as Rip Engle's quarterback coach.

USFTCCCA names regional coaching honor after Penn State's Harry Groves

An era might be coming to an end at Penn State, but the accomplishments of Harry Groves will live on following his retirement next month as the Nittany Lions' head men's track and field and cross country coach at Penn State.

Sam Seemes, CEO of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, announced Thursday that the Mid-Atlantic Region's Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year Award will be named in the Penn State coach's honor beginning this fall.

This is the first time that one of the USTFCCCA's regional coaching awards has been named in someone's honor, though additional coaches will be honored similarly in the future, Seemes said.

One of the most respected coaches in cross country and track, Groves is completing his 38th season as head coach at Penn State. During his lengthy tenure, he coached 11 American record holders, 21 national championships and 14 Olympians.

Groves was an assistant U.S. coach at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and was selected to the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame in 2001.

"This is in recognition for Harry Groves' outstanding contributions to track and field and cross country," Seemes said. "Those contributions will be remembered each fall when a deserving cross country coach receives the Harry Groves Mid-Atlantic Men's Coach of the Year award."

Groves qualified 22 cross country teams to the NCAA Championships, all but two of which finished 15th or higher. Penn State won eight Region II titles under Groves. He was the National Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1975 and 1979.

"Since 1968, I have seen Coach Groves work with student-athletes of all levels - high school stars, college stars, national and international athletes, and college walk-ons," said Greg Fredericks, a Penn State runner who broke the U.S. record in the 10,000 meters in 1972. "He coached them all the same - to run faster, jump higher and throw further. And they did."

"But he also coached them to work hard, respect your opponent, care for your teammates, study and be the best you can be," Fredericks said. "This made them better people."

A middle distance runner at Temple, Groves joined the William & Mary staff in 1955 as an assistant in cross country and track. He took over the heading coaching position in 1956 and held it until moving to Penn State in 1968.

Don't expect Beth Alford Sullivan to ever receive the "Harry Groves Mid-Atlantic Men's Coach of the Year award."

Money Talks wrote:

Wouldn't you do the same thing? Ha...Padding your resumee with fluff while riding off the accomplishments of others and kissing up to the AD is not accountable. Se is a master at self promoting. This does not make it right that she take the job even if she has the best intensions. She is an opportunist! Take a good look at the XC team for her actual coaching talent.

Can someone explain this to me? Joe Pa's salary isn't public?

I thought penn state was a state college.

What do you think Beth's salary will be? Maybe she will get bonus $ for being her own publicist.

rico suave wrote:

at least she's hot.

She isn't, but at least her two cats are track fans!

More to that... wrote:

Perhaps this is true, but how many other D1 schools have one coach doing two head coaching jobs?

At least in T&F a good percentage do.

16x wrote:

Joan Nesbit was a successful and well liked coach for UNC for both men and women.

And really well liked by at least one of the men......

Slower Than 88% Of You wrote:

Joan Nesbit was a successful and well liked coach for UNC for both men and women.

And really well liked by at least one of the men......

Good thing the men coaches never do this.

So how was BAS recieved at Harry's dinner? What was the scuttle?

I am anxious to know about the banquet, What people had to say and the participation of Curley, et. al.

Here is my take on the event.

First and foremost it was a fitting way to send Harry out. The focus was all about Harry. Lots of nice speakers saying lots of nice things. The AD said nice things but my feeling was it didn't appear heartfelt at all, which is no surprise.

Great turnout and it was great to see so many folks that you hadn't seen forever.

The replacement was in attendance but there was no focus at all on her, which is obviously appropriate for this event. I hope that she saw the love and respect shown for Harry and realizes the way he earned it was not through being politically correct or kissing the right backsides.

The PA system was pathetic which made it very hard to hear the speakers. One would think an institution the size of Penn State could invest the money required to have a functioning PA system.

old alum wrote:

Great turnout and it was great to see so many folks that you hadn't seen forever.

I'll second that. You could count the number of no-shows on one hand -- which is surprising given a coaching legacy that spanned 38 years at Penn State.

My favorite part was when Mike Sands, President of the Bahamian Amateur Athletic Association and a Penn State Alum (400m record-holder), speaking on behalf of Prime Minister Perry Christie, extended an invitation to Harry to coach the Bahamian National Team.