I just found out that Gary Winckler was been elected to the
US Track and Cross Country Coaches Association hall of fame. In my book Gary is one of the best, if not the best hurdle coaches
on the planet. Congratulations Gary – You deserve this honor. Below is the bio
of Gary from the USTFCCCA announcement.
Track & field was more than just a sport to former
Illinois and Florida State women's track & field head coach Gary Winckler,
it was an opportunity to help young women succeed both on and off the track.
Nationally regarded as one of the nation's most premier coaches, Winckler's
Illinois teams regularly battled for Big Ten Conference Championships, winning
a total of 11 during his time in Champaign. He was named the Big Ten Coach of
the Year 11 times, the 2007 USTFCCCA Midwest Region Outdoor Track & Field
Coach of the Year, and was named NCAA Division I Coach of the Year three times.
Winckler coached athletes earned 266 Big Ten individual titles and over 175
All-American honors. Dating back to 1992 Winckler has had an athlete compete in
every World Championship and Olympic Games. Prior to his arrival on the
Illinois campus Winckler coached at Florida State University, leading the
Seminole women to the 1984 NCAA outdoor title and the 1985 NCAA indoor title.
His 1984 team scored the second-most points (145) in NCAA history at the
women's outdoor championships. Winckler coached over 100 All-Americans while at
Florida State.