EUGENE, Ore. – At the end of nine successful seasons at the head of the Ducks’ sprints, hurdles and relays, Curtis Taylor will continue in his role as Oregon’s assistant coach, the head coach announced Tuesday Jerry Schumacher.
“Curtis has been one of the most successful coaches in the NCAA over the last decade,” Schumacher said. “His work with Oregon’s sprint, hurdles and relay teams has produced outstanding results, and I am excited that he will continue that work with our student-athletes. I know that Curtis will continue to be an outstanding leader for our program, and look forward to working together to continue building on this success.”
Taylor is a three-time USTFCCCA National Assistant Coach of the Year, first honored following the 2016 outdoor season and then earning indoor and outdoor recognition in 2017. Individually, Taylor has coached Oregon student-athletes in eight NCAA individual titles NCAA2. -12 titles and several NCAA records.
In nine seasons at Oregon, Taylor has been a part of 10 NCAA team titles including the program’s most recent 2021 NCAA Indoor Championship for the UO men. In 2016-17, the Oregon Women made history as the first Division I women’s team to complete the Triple Crown in the same academic year.
During that time, Taylor and his sprint group have completely rewritten UO history by replacing school records in each of the events he has run. Taylor is an eight-time USTFCCCA West Region Assistant Coach of the Year with three indoor honors and five outdoor selections.
Under Taylor’s watch, then-newcomers Micah Williams AND Kemba Nelson won the men’s and women’s 60 meters at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships. Williams’ win was the first in program history while Nelson broke the collegiate record with her 7.05 performance in the finals; that time is now No. 2 on the all-time list.
With the wins, Oregon became the first school since LSU (2008) to sweep the NCAA titles in the 60m.
In 2022, Williams lowered his school records to 6.48 in the 60 meters indoors and 9.86 in the 100 outdoors. He posted an all-conditions best of 9.83 (+2.5) in the Mt. SAC 2022 and broke the Pac-12 Championship meet record with a time of 9.93, eclipsing the previous mark of 9.97 shared by former UO standouts Cravon Gillespie and Andre De Grasse (USC).
Nelson, a three-time Pac-12 2022 champion, was the NCAA runner-up in the 100 meters last season and was also part of the Ducks’ 4×100-meter relay that finished third at the NCAA Championships.
Overall, Taylor coached the Oregon Women to seven NCAA outdoor qualifiers, and like Nelson a year ago, saw a breakthrough during the indoor season from Jadyn Mays. The Arizona native finished third at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 60 meters, complete with a 7.09 performance in the semifinals.
Nelson went on to win a silver medal at the Oregon22 World Athletics Championships as the lead leg for Team Jamaica in the 4x100m relay. She ran a school record 10.88 to finish second over 100 meters at the Jamaican Championships.
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