The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Buford-Bailey named Nike Coach of the Year
11.17.2016 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Texas sprinters, hurdlers put on show in 2016
AUSTIN, Texas – With four Americans under her tutelage competing at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and three of them earning medals, the USATF announced Tonja Buford-Bailey as the 2016 Nike Coach of the Year on Thursday.
Buford-Bailey, co-interim head coach of the Texas Longhorns, had an impressive showing from her sprints, hurdles and relays group in 2016 from January all the way through August and the Olympic Games.
"Receiving this award is a huge honor. It wouldn't be possible without the athletes' commitment to me and their leadership in mentoring all of their training partners and each other," she said. "I'm thankful to USA Track and Field, Nike and the University of Texas. I'm especially thankful to Gary Winckler, my mentor, who constantly told me when I was a runner that coaching was my gift."
The highlight of the year of course were her Olympians.
Morolake Akinosun won gold for Team USA in the 4x100 meter relay by running the anchor leg in the semifinal round. She also was the alternate on the team for the 100 meters after finishing fourth at the U.S. Olympic Trials where she posted a personal best time and ran sub-11 seconds in all three rounds.
Courtney Okolo closed the Games with a gold medal in the 4x400 meter relay for Team USA. She ran the opening leg in both the semifinals and the final, a change from her usual anchor leg for the Longhorns but one she welcomed as she handed the baton off with a big lead after each of her runs.
In her first full year as a professional runner, lifetime Longhorn Ashley Spencer had a storybook year with Buford-Bailey's guidance. At the Olympic Games in Rio, Spencer ran her way to a bronze medal performance in the 400 meter hurdles, an amazing feat after switching back to the event following a collegiate career focused on the 400 meters.
Spencer also made history at the Olympic Trials as she attempted an unprecedented double. She tried to make Team USA in both the 400 meters and the 400 meter hurdles. She opened the meet by reaching the final of the 400 meters and finishing seventh. Spencer then turned her attention to the hurdles after three days off and ran her way to a silver medal over three races to earn her way to the Olympics and become the first American woman to qualify for the finals of both events at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
One other American coached by Buford-Bailey at the Games was current Texas senior Byron Robinson. He finished ninth in the men's 400 meter hurdles and missed making the final by just .01 of a second. Robinson posted a personal best time of 48.65 seconds during that semifinal race to cross third in his heat.
"The 2016 Season would be what I would call a journey. We talked about how important this season was going to be and what goals we wanted to accomplish. The focus was on the college season and to make certain that it carried on into the Olympic Trials and hopefully on to the Games," Buford-Bailey said. "It took a lot of discipline and long-term motivation from the athletes and myself as their coach. We discussed how valuable that was to the process knowing it was going to be a long mentally challenging season for such young athletes. Ashley, Courtney, Morolake and Byron were all either in college or one year out and all but Ashley their first major international team."
The foundation for those impressive Olympic showings started during the Longhorns' season with Buford-Bailey seeing Okolo and Akinosun represent half of UT's winning 4x400 relay at the NCAA Championships, both indoors and out in 2016. The 4x400 team ran two times this year that rank No. 4 and No. 6 indoors in collegiate history, plus No. 9 outdoors.
Okolo swept the indoor and outdoor NCAA titles in the 400 meters this year and shattered her own collegiate record outdoors with a time of 49.71 seconds at the LSU Alumni Gold. In her win at the NCAA Indoor Championships, Okolo ran 50.69 for the No. 3 time in collegiate history. Okolo also is one of three finalists for The Bowerman, the most prestigious award in collegiate track and field awarded by the USTFCCCA.
At the Big 12 Championships, Buford-Bailey's group dominated winning every sprint event on the women's side outdoors but the 100 meter hurdles and the 4x400 after the team title was already well in hand.
Akinosun became the first woman in Big 12 Conference history to win either the 100 meters or the 200 meters three consecutive years as she won both events all three years she was a Longhorn. For her efforts she was named Big 12 Women's Outstanding Performer of the Year.
Freshman Teahna Daniels also set the standard in 2016 for future freshman. She became the first freshman woman to ever win the 60 meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Daniels broke the school record and American junior record (Under 20) in the process, clocking in at 7.11 seconds in the final. That time ranks fifth all-time in collegiate history as well.
The men's sprint group also saw great success in 2016 with the school record in the 4x400 relay going down twice during the indoor season and once during outdoor. The outdoor record was 33 years old.
Zack Bilderback also became the first Longhorn to win the men's 400 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships. He broke the school record in both the 200 and 400 in winning titles at the Big 12 Championships.
"I'm very fortunate as a coach to have athletes who believe in me and were willing to work together as a team on this journey to accomplish all the goals we talked about starting in September of 2015," Buford-Bailey said.
Additional Quotes from Athletes
Ashley Spencer
Tonja has meant the world to me since 2011. She's been my second mom, my inspiration, my tough love and my right hand man. You can always depend on her and she's the type of woman who can demand 100-percent from her athletes who, in turn, will do anything and everything to be just that. I'm honored to have been able to call her my coach for all these years and I look forward to many more.
Morolake Akinosun
Coach Bailey is so much more than just my coach. She's a mother figure, advisor, mentor, friend and someone who believes in me. She cares about me and everyone that she coaches as a person first and then an athlete. She works tirelessly to make sure that all of us are the best possible version of ourselves and she's not in it for recognition. So I'm extremely happy for her and honored to be coached by the Nike Coach of the Year.
Byron Robinson
Every blessing that comes Coach Bailey's way is well deserved and I personally couldn't be more happy for her. I'm so proud and honored to call her my coach. She's exemplary of a loving and passionate coach, mother and human being. I love Coach Bailey and wish nothing but blessings continue to come her way.
Courtney Okolo
Coach Bailey is a very talented coach. Over the years I've observed how can be in three places at once during practice and still give each athlete the attention they need. She is truly amazing and more than dedicated to the success of all her athletes.
Players Mentioned
