BATON ROUGE — LSU jumps and multi-event coach Boo Schexnayder has been named to Team USA’s men’s track and field coaching staff for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, as announced by USA Track & Field on Thursday.
Schexnayder will also serve as the jumps and combined events coach for Team USA as he is joined on the men’s coaching staff by head coach Bubba Thornton, head manager James Li, sprints and hurdles coach Harvey Glance, middle distance coach John McDonnell, throws coach Criss Somerlot and endurance coach Joe Vigil.
“I’m humbled and honored to have the opportunity to coach our nation’s top track and field athletes at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing,” Schexnayder said. “It’s certainly a tremendous honor for me to be selected by my peers in the coaching profession to represent this great country at the highest level of international competition.”
Schexnayder, who is in his 12th season as the jumps and multi-events coach for the men’s and women’s programs at LSU, is set to make his return to Beijing as he also served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships this past summer.
The Vacherie, La, native is one of the most respected track and field coaches in the country as he has been the mastermind behind 19 individual NCAA titles secured by 10 different athletes during his tenure in Baton Rouge. He has also coached a total of seven Olympians and 57 All-Americans in his time with the Tigers.
Also a prominent figure on the international scene, Schexnayder most recently guided the efforts of LSU great and reigning IAAF world indoor and outdoor triple jump champion Walter Davis, who capped a stellar career in Baton Rouge in 2002 as a six-time national champion and nine-time All-American while competing in both the long jump and triple jump.
Former LSU national champion John Moffitt has also excelled on the international stage under Schexnayder’s direction as he won a silver medal in the long jump for Team USA at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Moffitt wrapped up his stellar career in Baton Rouge in 2004 after winning a pair of national titles in his specialty event.
Schexnayder’s service extends beyond his duties with the Tigers and Lady Tigers as he also serves as chairman of the jumps program of USA Track & Field’s Coaching Education Committee, while he is formerly the chairman of USATF’s Coaching Education Committee and Biomechanics Subcommittee.