Gary Andrew receiving the Southern Conference Coach of the Year award in 2007
Gary Andrew To Retire At End of Season
3/20/2014 11:14:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field
DAVIDSON, N.C. – After nearly 29 years of dedicated service, Gary Andrew will retire as head coach of the Davidson men's track and field and cross country teams, effective at the conclusion of this season, he announced Thursday.
He will open his final outdoor track season Friday at the Charlotte 49er Classic.
A three-time conference coach of the year, Andrew is the second-longest tenured coach in the Davidson men's cross country and track & field program's history. Andrew is also the second-longest serving coach presently at Davidson (Caroline Price, women's tennis, 32 years). He is also one of just seven coaches to have received the Southern Conference's "Coach of the Year" award twice since the league began issuing it in 1978.
"As I finish my 29th and final season as head coach of the men's track and field team (28 for cross country), I have a mixture of emotions," said Andrew. "I am excited about starting the next phase of my life, but I am sad to be leaving what has been such a big part of my life the past 28 and one-half years."
When Andrew arrived at Davidson in 1986, he was the lone coach on staff for the men's and women's cross country and track & field teams, and he guided the women's teams through 1992. He was named the 1991 Big South Women's Cross Country Co-Coach of the Year after guiding Kathy Beach '92 to the conference cross country individual title that year. Beach's brilliant career earned her a place in the Davidson Athletics Hall of Fame and on the Big South's 1990's Women's Cross Country All-Decade team.
A total of 19 individual SoCon Champions have been crowned during his tenure, and Douglas Noreen '07 was recognized as the Most Outstanding Track Performer at the 2007 outdoor SoCon Championships. Andrew has also seen 'Cats step on the podium 77 times with all-conference honors. Runners have qualified on time for the outdoor NCAA Regionals in each of the past two seasons – a program first.
"I will leave with many happy memories, but what I cherish the most is the friendships I have made with the Davidson student-athletes, staff and faculty," said Andrew. "The athletes I have coached over the years are part of my extended family and they mean much to me. "
Of the 62 indoor and outdoor records kept for Davidson track, 41 have been set during Andrew's tenure, including 17 since 2012.
"Gary Andrew has been an integral part of the Davidson athletic culture for 28 and a half years and he has left his mark on the program," said Director of Athletics Jim Murphy. "It's difficult to imagine our track and cross country programs without his guidance, but we are excited for Gary and his family."
Andrew has guided individuals to 11 cross country all-conference honors since 1999, and his cross country teams have placed in the top five at the SoCon Championships in each of the last five years and eight times in the past nine years, including program-best runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2011. The 2009 cross country team also finished a program-best 12th at the NCAA Southeast Region Championship.
The success has continued through the winter and spring on the track.
The Wildcats had not seen the podium as a team in the outdoor SoCon Championships, or even cracked the top five since 1972, until Andrew guided the 'Cats to back-to-back third-place finishes in 2006 and 2007, earning Southern Conference Outdoor Coach of the Year-honors both times.
Davidson has not finished outside the top five since.
The squad has seen a similar renaissance indoors, cracking the top five in 2006 for the first time since a fourth-place finish in 1971, and finishing a program-best third in 2007.
The success on the trails and track has been matched in the classroom.
Under Andrew's watch, the Wildcat men's cross country team has earned all-academic honors from the U.S. Cross Country Coaches Association, including "with distinction" honors in 2004, for the past 16 seasons, and his track and field teams have been ranked among the top squads in the nation academically for several seasons.
Dan Gibson '02 was named to the 2002 CoSIDA Academic All-American team and Demetrios Pagonis '13 earned the same distinction in 2013. Additionally, Ryan Hopkins '12 was named to the USTFCCCA Men's Cross Country All-Academic team in 2011.
"I plan on staying around Davidson, so look for me cheering on the teams!" said Andrew.
He will open his final outdoor track season Friday at the Charlotte 49er Classic.
A three-time conference coach of the year, Andrew is the second-longest tenured coach in the Davidson men's cross country and track & field program's history. Andrew is also the second-longest serving coach presently at Davidson (Caroline Price, women's tennis, 32 years). He is also one of just seven coaches to have received the Southern Conference's "Coach of the Year" award twice since the league began issuing it in 1978.
"As I finish my 29th and final season as head coach of the men's track and field team (28 for cross country), I have a mixture of emotions," said Andrew. "I am excited about starting the next phase of my life, but I am sad to be leaving what has been such a big part of my life the past 28 and one-half years."
When Andrew arrived at Davidson in 1986, he was the lone coach on staff for the men's and women's cross country and track & field teams, and he guided the women's teams through 1992. He was named the 1991 Big South Women's Cross Country Co-Coach of the Year after guiding Kathy Beach '92 to the conference cross country individual title that year. Beach's brilliant career earned her a place in the Davidson Athletics Hall of Fame and on the Big South's 1990's Women's Cross Country All-Decade team.
A total of 19 individual SoCon Champions have been crowned during his tenure, and Douglas Noreen '07 was recognized as the Most Outstanding Track Performer at the 2007 outdoor SoCon Championships. Andrew has also seen 'Cats step on the podium 77 times with all-conference honors. Runners have qualified on time for the outdoor NCAA Regionals in each of the past two seasons – a program first.
"I will leave with many happy memories, but what I cherish the most is the friendships I have made with the Davidson student-athletes, staff and faculty," said Andrew. "The athletes I have coached over the years are part of my extended family and they mean much to me. "
Of the 62 indoor and outdoor records kept for Davidson track, 41 have been set during Andrew's tenure, including 17 since 2012.
"Gary Andrew has been an integral part of the Davidson athletic culture for 28 and a half years and he has left his mark on the program," said Director of Athletics Jim Murphy. "It's difficult to imagine our track and cross country programs without his guidance, but we are excited for Gary and his family."
Andrew has guided individuals to 11 cross country all-conference honors since 1999, and his cross country teams have placed in the top five at the SoCon Championships in each of the last five years and eight times in the past nine years, including program-best runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2011. The 2009 cross country team also finished a program-best 12th at the NCAA Southeast Region Championship.
The success has continued through the winter and spring on the track.
The Wildcats had not seen the podium as a team in the outdoor SoCon Championships, or even cracked the top five since 1972, until Andrew guided the 'Cats to back-to-back third-place finishes in 2006 and 2007, earning Southern Conference Outdoor Coach of the Year-honors both times.
Davidson has not finished outside the top five since.
The squad has seen a similar renaissance indoors, cracking the top five in 2006 for the first time since a fourth-place finish in 1971, and finishing a program-best third in 2007.
The success on the trails and track has been matched in the classroom.
Under Andrew's watch, the Wildcat men's cross country team has earned all-academic honors from the U.S. Cross Country Coaches Association, including "with distinction" honors in 2004, for the past 16 seasons, and his track and field teams have been ranked among the top squads in the nation academically for several seasons.
Dan Gibson '02 was named to the 2002 CoSIDA Academic All-American team and Demetrios Pagonis '13 earned the same distinction in 2013. Additionally, Ryan Hopkins '12 was named to the USTFCCCA Men's Cross Country All-Academic team in 2011.
"I plan on staying around Davidson, so look for me cheering on the teams!" said Andrew.
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