Sevene out of retirement to coach at CSUMB
The Monterey County Herald
Special to The Herald
Article Last Updated: 03/08/2008 01:46:51 AM PST
He's back.
Bob Sevene, who stepped down as coach of the Big Sur Distance Project in 2006, will be coaching CSU-Monterey Bay's cross country team this fall.
Sevene, who is best known for helping Joan Benoit Samuelson win the first Olympic Marathon gold medal for women, moved to Marina in 2003 to coach Team USA Monterey Bay, a program created to develop promising, post-collegiate runners into world-class athletes. It later became known as the Big Sur Distance Project. Sevene was well qualified for the job, having started the Greater Boston Track Club and being the founding coach of the East Coast squad of Athletics West (Nike's elite team). He is still coaching former project runner Blake Russell, who is the 2006 U.S. Cross County 8k champion and a two-time U.S. Road Champion in the 15k and 20k. Russell finished fourth in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
In 2006, the then 62-year-old Sevene stepped down to focus on coaching Russell and spend more time with his family. The program was then discontinued.
"I semi-retired last year and I wanted to get back into coaching because I am a teacher. I was going to go to Oregon State, but I have family here and Monterey is a hell of a nice place," Sevene said in a school press release. "I've spent my career building programs. So I just look at it as another challenge."
Sevene, who has coached at all levels, high school through professional, replaces Yi Mao.
"We are excited to have a coach with the great experience that Bob has," said CSUMB Athletic Director Howard Gauthier. "His name within the cross country world will attract recruits from throughout the country."
http://www.montereyherald.com/sports/ci_8501872?nclick_check=1