Clyde Hart, one of the most respected coaches in track and field history, passed away on Saturday at age 91 following a long battle with cancer.
Hart built his reputation as a master of 400-meter training over a career spanning more than five decades. His athletes captured numerous Olympic and world championship titles, cementing his legacy as arguably the greatest coach in the event’s history.
The coaching legend began his own athletic career as a sprinter in Arkansas, where he equaled the state’s 100 yards record during his high school years. After attending Baylor University as a student, Hart returned to the school in 1963 to lead its track and field program.
He remained Baylor’s head coach until 2005, then continued in a director role until 2019. During those decades at the university, he developed a coaching philosophy that would reshape how athletes approached the one-lap race.
Hart guided nine athletes to the Olympics throughout his career. Those Olympians combined for more than a dozen gold medals on the sport’s biggest stage. He also coached 29 athletes to NCAA championships.
Michael Johnson became Hart’s most famous protégé, winning multiple Olympic and world titles under his guidance. Jeremy Wariner and Sanya Richards-Ross also reached the pinnacle of the sport while training with Hart.
The coaching community recognized Hart’s excellence with several prestigious honors. He received the World Athletics Coach of the Year award in 2009. USATF named him its coach of the year in both 2004 and 2006.
Johnson previously called Hart “one of the greatest coaches ever,” adding that Hart had served as “teacher, mentor, friend, father figure” since they began working together in 1986.
Richards-Ross shared her thoughts on Instagram following Hart’s death. “The selflessness, love, dedication and passion he poured into me and countless others is unparalleled,” she wrote. The Olympic champion trained with Hart for 13 years, noting that “his unwavering support and love for me beyond my track prowess made us more like family than colleagues.”
Hart is survived by his wife Maxine and their family.
