Melvin "Mel" Rosen (March 24, 1928 – March 25, 2018) was an American track coach. ^{[1] [2]}

He was head coach of the Auburn University Tigers track team for 28 years, from 1963 to 1991, during which time the team won four consecutive Southeastern Conference (SEC) Indoor Track & Field Championships, from 1977 to 1980, and an outdoor track and field championship in 1979. ^{[2] [3]}

Early life

Rosen was Jewish, was born in The Bronx, New York, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. ^{[2] [4] [5] [6]} He graduated from the University of Iowa, where he was a middle distance runner, in 1950. ^{[1] [2] [4] [6]}

Coaching career

Rosen then coached at University of Iowa as an assistant for three years, while earning a master's degree and beginning work on a doctorate which he then continued to study for at Auburn. ^{[1] [2] [6]} In addition, he served two years in the Army at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he was track coach for the post. ^{[1] [5]}

Rosen joined Auburn in 1955, as an assistant professor in the university's physical education department, and as an assistant track coach. ^{[1] [2] [4]} He was in charge of the school's distance and relay teams until 1964, when he became head coach. ^{[1] [4]}

In 1978, Rosen was named the SEC and NCAA Coach of the Year, in both indoor and outdoor competition. ^{[1] [2] [4]} That year his team placed second at the SEC outdoor, fifth at the NCAA outdoor, first at the SEC indoor, and second at the NCAA indoor meets. ^{[1] [4]} His teams finished in the top ten at both the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships for four consecutive years (1976–79). ^{[2] [4]} He was again named NCAA Indoor Coach of the Year in 1980, and SEC Indoor Coach of the Year in 1985. ^{[1] [2] [4]}

During his coaching career he coached 7 Olympians and 143 All-Americans. ^{[1] [2] [4]}

After the 1991 season, he left as Auburn's track coach to become head coach of the 1992 U.S. Men's Olympic Track Team. ^{[1] [2] [4] [7]} He had been assistant coach for the 1984 Olympic Team, and head coach of the 1987 Outdoor World Championships team. ^{[1] [2]}

Rosen was USA Track & Field men's track & field committee chairman. ^{[1] [2]} He was President of the track coaches association from 1978–79. ^[1]

To honor him and another former track coach, Auburn renamed its new track and field complex Hutsell-Rosen Track in 2006. ^[5]

Awards and inductions

Rosen was inducted as a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, and was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1995. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]} He was inducted as a member of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001. ^{[1] [5]} In 2004, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. ^[6]

References

External links

• Practical Coaching Techniques, by Mel Rosen, Championship Books & Video Productions, 1981, ISBN  0-932741-95-9,