The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association will welcome its largest Hall of Fame class next month - 13 coaches who merit inclusion among the all-time greats of the sport.

From high school to the Olympic ranks, this year's class is one of the most diverse since the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame came into existence 11 years ago. The inductees have coached in all regions of the country and have made lasting contributions to the young male and female student- athletes they have coached over the course of their distinguished careers.

The coaches listed below will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on November 30th in a special ceremony in Jacksonville, Florida. This year's class will join such coaching legends as Ed Temple, Bill Bowerman, Barbara Jacket, Don Canham, and Dr. LeRoy Walker.

The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association serves as the professional association for men and women who coach in the sports of Cross Country and Track and Field throughout the United States. The association provides educational opportunities and serves as a vehicle for networking, exchange of information, and advocacy on behalf of the profession and the sports.

The USTFCCA is delighted to welcome the following coaches to its Hall of Fame:

George Williams has built nothing short of a dynasty at Saint Augustine's College. Since he began coaching in 1976, his program has been the winner of an astounding 24 National Championships, and he has been the recipient of some 90 Coach of the Year honors. Additionally, Williams has maintained a 95% graduation rate for scholarship athletes. Williams was the head coach of the 1994 Olympic Team in Athens. In 1996 he also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Team, where each athlete he was responsible for won a gold medal. Williams also coached Olympic Gold Medalist Antonio Pettigrew. He currently serves as the head coach and athletic director at Saint Augustine's College - his 9th year in that capacity.

Bill Cornell coached the Southern Illinois University track & field and cross country programs for 18 years (1982-2000). During his coaching tenure, Cornell produced four Olympians and built Southern Illinois' track & field program up to heights of success not reached before his arrival. He coached Tommy Turner, who was the first athlete from the Ohio Valley Conference to win an NCAA Championship. In addition to his successful coaching career, Cornell was a standout competitor. When he was 17, he set a world record in the mile for his age group. At Southern Illinois, Cornell was a three-time All-American and earned the SIU Athlete of the Year award in 1962. He also served as the head coach at Murray State University for 15 years (1967-1981), where he produced 24 All-Americans.

Victor Lopez spent 26 years (1979-2005) serving as head coach for the Rice University women's track & field and cross country teams. During that unprecedented stint, Lopez led the program to three indoor conference titles, four outdoor conference titles and three cross country titles. Additionally, he coached athletes that won All-American honors 152 times. He is also a ten-time Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Under Lopez's guidance, 58 athletes won 176 NCAA Division I or AIAW All-America honors. While at Rice, he coached Regina Cavanaugh, winner of multiple NCAA titles. Lopez currently serves as the Chairman for the IAAF Coaches Commission.

Erv Hunt directed the University of California's track & field and cross country programs for 31 years, beginning in 1973. He is the winningest coach in the history of the school's track & field program, amassing a .765 winning percentage for the men's team and a .700 winning percentage for the women's program. Over three decades at the helm of the California program, Hunt coached an amazing 90 All- Americans. He also served as the 1996 Men's Olympic team head coach in Atlanta, where his team won 10 Gold Medals - one of the highest totals in the history of Olympic Track. Hunt coached 2-time Olympian James Robinson as well as NCAA great Larry Cowling.

Jack Warner has over 50 years of experience in the track & field and cross country coaching arena. Beginning his career in 1954, his impressive span includes coaching stints at Cornell University, Colgate University, as well as his current tenure at William Smith College. Widely renowned and respected as one of the sport's great coaching minds, Warner has shown unparalleled dedication to his sport. At Cornell, he coached five Olympians and 24 NCAA All-Americans. Befitting his impressive career, Coach Warner has also received numerous honors. In 1978 he was named the NCAA District II Men's Track Coach of the Year, and, in 1983, the District II Women's Cross Country Co-Coach of the Year.

Steve Miller's impressive coaching career has seen him serve as head coach of both California Polytechnic State University (1976- 1981) and Kansas State University (1981-1986), where he was also Head Athletic Director. At Cal Poly, Miller led the Mustang track and field teams to five NCAA Division II national championship titles (3 in track and field and 2 in cross country), and eight California Collegiate Athletic Association titles (4 track and field and 4 in cross country). Miller has been named the NCAA National Coach of the Year five times during his illustrious coaching career and has coached such greats as Olympian Bart Williams and multiple NCAA distance title winner Jim Schankel. Miller is currently the President and Chief Operating Officer for Devine Racing.

Vince Brown served as head coach at Christopher Newport University for 25 years (1980-2005). During that impressive span, he led his program to 12 national championships as well as countless conference championships. Brown's athletes won an incredible 444 All- American honors. Under his guidance, Christopher Newport has won a total of 61 individual and relay national championships. He coached track & field since the late 1960's, and joined the Christopher Newport staff in 1980 as head track and cross country coach. Widely regarded as a master recruiter, Brown left an unmatched level of success behind at Christopher Newport when he retired this past year.

Charles Nuttycombe was a track & field pioneer at Newport News and Menchville High Schools in Virginia, where he coached from 1956-1990. He led his teams to seven Indoor Championships and seven outdoor Championships. Among his many accomplished pupils, Williams coached national ranked triple jumper and All-Pro NFL receiver Al Toon. Additionally, Nuttycombe coached numerous All- Americans and state champions during his coaching tenure, and he won several different Coach of the Year awards, including the 1975 National Track Coach of the Year Award. He has coached a state champion in every single Indoor event and all but one Outdoor event.

Buddy Fowlkes was the head track & field coach at Georgia Tech for nearly three decades (1965-1992). Fowlkes' list of accomplishments include three Olympic medalists, two World Record holders, 10 NCAA national champions, 50 All-Americans, 77 Atlantic Coast Conference champions and 126 All-ACC selections. He was named ACC coach of the year twice, and he was honored as the 1985 NCAA Indoor Southeast Coach of the Year. He has coached national champions, world record holders, and even gold medal winning Olympians. Among his accomplished students is former world record holder Antonio McCay. Fowlkes lifted the Georgia Tech program to heights it had never experienced before his arrival.

Charlie Thomas coached the Texas A&M track & field and cross country teams from 1959-1990. He coached Texas A&M to five Southwest Conference Championships during his tenure, and was also named the 1989 Southwest Conference Coach of the Year. Thomas' teams also had five top six finishes in NCAA competition. Thomas coached world record holders Curtis Mills and Randy Matson. In addition, he coached 22 NCAA Individual Championships during his coaching stint with Texas A&M. He also coached some 121 Southwest Conference Individual Champions. As a competitor, Thomas was a world record holder in the 440-yard relay.

Deceased individuals to be inducted:

Bill Hayward led the University of Oregon track & field and cross country programs for an amazing 44 years (1904-1947). He built the program into a nationally prominent force, and paved the way for the many accomplishments it has experienced since his departure. Among his coaching accomplishments, Hayward was a coach on the U.S. Olympic teams from 1908-1932. He coached four track & field world record holders and nine Olympians, including former Oregon and U.S. Olympic Coach and co-founder of Nike Bill Bowerman. Hayward Field, Oregon's storied track & field venue, was built in 1919 as a tribute to this track and field legend.

Cleburne Price, Jr.'s coaching achievements were some of the most storied in the history of the former Southwest Conference. During his 15 season tenure at the University of Texas (1971-1985), Price achieved numerous outstanding accomplishments, including eight Southwest Conference Indoor titles. He coached 46 individual SWC Outdoor Champions as well as 21 individual SWC Indoor Champions. Price also coached 11 Olympians during his career, including Gold Medalist Johnny Lamb Jones. He also served as the director of the Texas Relays, one of the most famous meets in the history of track & field. Price has also coached at Kimball High School and Dallas Baptist College.

Hoover Wright headed the Prairie View A&M University track & field and cross country programs for over 40 years. Wright's steady direction guided the program to two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Indoor titles, one National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Outdoor title, five Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) crowns, and the 1970 United States Track and Field Association National Title. Among countless distinguished coaching honors, Wright was named SWAC Coach of the Year as well as NAIA Coach of the Year. His accomplished pupils include Olympic Gold Medalist Fred Newhouse.