Tartans Name Gary Aldrich to Track & Field Staff

Aug. 15 - (PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – A Western Pennsylvania college star is returning to the college coaching ranks and will be an integral part of the track and field program at Carnegie Mellon University. Susan Bassett, the Tartans’ Director of Athletics, recently named Gary Aldrich the Associate Head Coach for the men’s and women’s track and field program. Aldrich will primarily be in charge of the field group and will work alongside Head Coach Dario Donatelli.

Aldrich comes to Carnegie Mellon from Rhode Island where he was the Mid-Atlantic Sales Manager for M-F Athletic Company/Perform Better. As a sales representative for the largest track and field distributing company and functional training company in the United States, he lectured for state track and field coaches association clinics on various topics including throwing and jumping events and strength and conditioning. He is also currently the vice president of the National Throws Coaches Association and is responsible for aiding in the organization of the national convention and putting on throws clinics around the country.

A graduate of Slippery Rock University, Aldrich has previously coached at Slippery Rock, Allegheny College, and most recently Alfred University in New York from 1995-1998. While at Alfred, Aldrich was the head coach for men’s and women’s track and field and also the men’s and women’s cross country teams. He led the teams to numerous conference runner-up finishes and was named the Men’s Coach of the Year following the 1997 men’s conference championship season in track and field. Seven members of his cross country teams were named Academic All-Americans and he coached the women’s team’s first NCAA individual qualifier.

“ Gary is an excellent addition to our track and field staff and brings a broad base of knowledge and experience. I’m confident that he will help our program reach new heights,” commented Director of Athletics Susan Bassett.

Aldrich graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education and health, with an emphasis in coaching and teaching certification K-12, in 1982 and finished his Master of Science in Kinesiology/Biomechanics in 1989, also from Slippery Rock. He currently holds the school discus record and will be inducted in October 2006 to the Slippery Rock University Athletic Hall of Fame and is a member of the Somerset (Mass.) High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He qualified for the 1983 Division II NCAA meet in the discus and is a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion in the shot put.

Aldrich has published a discus video and DVD through M-F Athletic Co. called “Come to Practice”, has written numerous articles about the various aspects of throwing events published on web sites such as www.mfathletic.com and holds his Level II USAT&F Coaching Certification in both jumps and throws and is a lead instructor for Level I USAT&F Coaching Certification.