United States Track Coaches Association

Induction of

Ed Jacoby

into the

Track Coach’s Hall of Fame

by Al Baeta

Saturday December 4, 2004

Portland, Oregon

Opening Comments

It is an honor for each of the introducers here today to present their inductee into the hall of fame. It is an honor for me too, and a pleasure as a friend and colleague to share with you but a capsule of the exceptional accomplishments of Ed Jacoby.

Overview of Accomplishments

Early in my career as a community college coach, I met Ed when he was at the College of the Canyons in the Los Angeles area. With a smile on his face, a caring for his athletes and a no nonsense approach to the task at hand, he gained then and continues to hold the utmost of respect from his coaching colleagues. He left the community college ranks and went on to Boise State where not only did he continue to have success for 24 years, but became involved in our National Track and Field Program. How fortunate our sport is for his having done so.

He was chair of our National Development committee, preceding that as chair of the high jump committee, assistant coach at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona Spain, head coach for the 1993 World Championship Team in Stuttgart Germany, brought to and directed the 1996 Division One NCAA track and field championships in Boise and Chaired the Olympic Trials site selection committee in 2000. As his vice chair in development, a fellow coach in Barcelona and as his technical director for the NCAA meet, I observed and experienced first hand Ed’s devotion to track and field, as a coach to his athletes, as a mentor to young people coming into the profession, as a visionary about the direction our sport should take, and as a positive influence on his peers. He is the complete coach whose skill, energy and straight forward response to questions asked, (no vague answers from Ed), gave rise to accomplishments spinning out from his successes as a high school, community college and university coach.

Designated as a Master Coach, his expertise in bio-mechanics, principles of training and training methodology encompasses all of track and field with a special emphasis on the jumping events. He authored three books, one of which, the complete Book of Jumps, was called by Track and Field News, the best book ever written on the jumping events.

At the core of all we do in our profession, the focal point of our energy is the athlete. Ed exemplifies this to the highest degree. “ Good athletes makes for a good coach” Ed said to me, I would add “Good athletes benefit from a good coach” as is evidenced by Cindy Greiner, Troy Kemp and Wendell Lawrence all Olympians coached by Ed as well as National Champions Eugene Greene and his son Jake. These are but a select few of the many athletes who attain competitive excellence with Ed as their coach. His and his athlete’s accomplishments resulted in Ed being named Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year 11 times and NCAA District Coach of the Year 3 times. And, he is in the Boise State University and the Idaho High School Track and Field Halls of Fame. And, beyond that, Ed teaches the teachers as well, as a lecturer at coaching clinics throughout the country.

With all he has accomplished and the contributions he has made, his honors are many, to especially be capped by his induction this afternoon…

Close and Introduction

The consummate coach is Ed. His efforts and commitment to excellence epitomize the best of our great sport. The measure of a man is the beliefs which guide him in his works with others. In this regard, he recently shared with me a core value of his in this statement, “My purpose in this life is certainly not to impress anyone, but is to influence as many as I can.” While he might not want to impress, he has done just that in a positive light and his wish to influence others has occurred, a thousand times over, because his actions, bearing and activities have made and will continue to make a lasting impact on all with whom he has worked.

I am proud and honored to present to you my friend and your inductee into the Hall of fame, Ed Jacoby