On Track with head coach Darryl Anderson
4/19/2006 12:00:00 AM
April 19, 2006
FT. WORTH, Texas - In just his second year at the helm of the TCU track and field program, coach Darryl Anderson and his talented coaching staff have continued the program's tradition of success when young programs at other schools are still in a rebuilding phase.
Coach Anderson has produced several All-Americans who have garnered numerous awards and honors as well as set new meet, school and conference records.
Recently, senior Jackson Langat became the first NCAA individual champion under Anderson's reign at TCU.
Below are a list of questions and answers to help you know more about the head coach behind the Flyin' Frog program.
Q: What is your favorite sport other than track?
Coach Anderson: I'm kind of a sports' junkie. I like both football and basketball equally, at the college and professional levels. I like NBA basketball in the postseason, but I like college hoops all season. I don't have a favorite with either one of those sports. I also like baseball during the postseason. I've been to a few World Series games, and that was a lot of fun. I've attended different sporting events and venues as a fan, so I really enjoy sports period. I'm the kind of person who isn't watching TV unless it's sports.
Q: What has been your most memorable track moment in the last year at TCU?
Coach Anderson: My most memorable track moment last year was the women's 4x400 relay team qualifying in the regional meet to advance to the NCAA Championships. It was exciting for TCU and our program to send its first women's relay team to the national meet.
Q: What is your favorite sports' movie?
Coach Anderson: I don't know if I have a favorite sports movie. I watch a lot of movies. My family and I go to the movies a lot, whether it's me and my kids or just me and my wife. Some of the movies that I've enjoyed have been Matrix, Gladiator, and Wedding Crashers. I like things that are upbeat, makes you laugh or something that's really aggressive in nature and/or challenging.
Q: If you could race against one person, who would it be and why?
Coach Anderson: The people I'd want to race against would be some of the best, such as Jesse Owens, Harrison Dillard from Ohio, Olympian Paul Drayton and Carl Lewis. Of course, they'd beat me but it would be a great experience to be their presence. More than anything, I'd pick their brains about sprinting, old school stuff compared to new ideologies and training methods. Training has kind of evolved from a lot of volume stuff to a lot of race specific stuff. I'd like to talk to them about what they did and how they did it because whatever it was that they did, obviously worked for them.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do when you're not coaching?
Coach Anderson: When I'm not coaching, I love to unwind by spending time with my son and my daughters. I'll shoot baskets with my son or talk to my four-year-old daughter about whatever it is four-year-olds talk about. I also try to spend as much quality time with my wife as possible. There's never enough time in the day when you're a coach for those things so when you get the chance, you try to take full advantage of it.
Q: Who was your role model growing up?
Coach Anderson: My role models have always been my mom and dad first and then my two brothers. I never looked outside of my family for a role model. My brothers and I were raised to always do the right thing and be honest about everything. My mother always said, "Tell us the truth, no matter what. We might not accept it or tell you it's okay but we're going to be there to support you through it." That has been instilled in me and I coach from that perspective as well as live it.
Q: If you weren't coaching, what would you be doing?
Coach Anderson: That's hard to answer because outside of childhood jobs, this is the only job I've ever had. I graduated from college and went right into coaching. Steve Miller, who coached me at Kansas State, asked me to come back as a graduate assistant when I finished my eligibility. So, here I am today. Coach Miller must have thought I'd be halfway good at coaching. I give him a lot of credit. I honestly don't know what I'd be doing if I weren't coaching. I guess it probably doesn't really matter either. I think if you do your job and work hard at it, then you can sustain a respectable livelihood.
Q: What is so great about track and field compared to other sports?
Coach Anderson: Traditionally, TCU has been great in track. When you look back through the years, you will see that TCU has been among the top 10 at the NCAA meet - even in the top 4. There have been several NCAA champions and collegiate record holders throughout TCU history. Last year, former TCU standouts Kim Collins and Michael Frater finished second and third in the world championships in the 100 meters. This year, we have Otis McDaniel who is the reigning Pan American Junior champion in the 200 meters. Also, Justyn Warner was a runner-up in the 100 meters at the Pan Am Junior Championships.
There have been a lot of great track athletes, past and present, at TCU. We have some athletes this year who were part of the 2005 football championship team. I think it enhances our program to have athletes from other sports because their training and experience helps us to maintain a high competitive level.
Players Mentioned
