Track and field finds its coach

The University of South Florida hired a new head coach for both the track and field and cross country teams Wednesday, Athletic Director Doug Woolard announced.

Warren Bye, who is a former USF assistant and interim coach, will take over for Greg Thiel, who resigned at the end of the 2005-06 season.

Bye, who was an assistant at USF the past two seasons, has 18 years of coaching experience.

“He’s had a lot of success (coaching the) long jump and triple jump,” said coach Todd Morgan, who has also spent the past two seasons as a USF assistant. “He’s done some great things in the past before he was here and here with athletes we’ve got.”

Before coming to USF in 2004, Bye was the head coach for the women’s track and field and cross country teams at the University of Louisville.

Bye also spent time as an assistant for the Cardinals, with a focus on sprints, hurdles, jumps and combined events.

“He’s coached every event, and he’s had success in every event area – sprints, hurdles and jumps,” Morgan said.

Morgan, who also applied for the open position, said he was happy for Bye and will stay on staff as an assistant.

“He definitely proved that he was the best candidate,” Morgan said. “Warren and I talked about it and we’re good friends, (and) we were pulling for each other.”

– Staff Report