Gary Aldrich

Associate Head Track & Field Coach

Gary Aldrich enters his fifth season as the Associate Head Coach for the men’s and women’s track and field program in 2011. Aldrich is primarily in charge of the field events and fall conditioning program.

The USTFCCCA Mideast Regional Assistant Coach of the Year winner in 2008 has brought a presence from the beginning, including a successful coaching pedigree and strength and conditioning program that propelled the track and field teams to new heights. The women's team enjoyed the successes his first season in 2007 as Jessica Meng and Becky Metler broke school records and earned UAA individual titles in the high jump and hammer throw, respectively. Meng also had the opportunity to compete at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships in just her sophomore season. Aldrich also guided the men's program to the 2007 UAA Outdoor Championship where James Hulley won three throwing titles and set the school record in the discus while earning UAA Outdoor Field Rookie of the Year honors. The men's team also saw Eric Tang win three jumping titles on his way to earning UAA Outdoor Field Performer of the Year, while Mike Reggie won the hammer throw. In all, Aldrich coached nine UAA Champions in 2006-07.

Success continued from 2007-2009 as the men's team repeated as UAA Outdoor Champions in 2008 while breaking 15 school records over the two-year span. Hulley was named UAA Field Athlete of the Year twice while Alex Hernandez got rookie honors in 2009. The women broke 16 school records during the span, six of which were in field events.

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.

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 (PSAC) 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. In July 2010, Aldrich served as the assistant throws coach for the NACAC (North American, Central American, and Caribbean Athletic Association) Under 23 Team.

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