Clyde Hart to Retire from Coaching at End of Season

By Adam Kopet

Clyde Hart has been coaching track and field since 1957. The 2019 season will be his last according to Jerry Hill of the Baylor Bear Insider.

Hart turned Baylor into Quarter-Miler U. He coached Michael Johnson to a then world record 43.18 seconds for 400 meters and two Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2000. Jeremy Wariner followed Johnson with gold in 2004.

Since taking over the Baylor head coaching position in 1963, Hart coached 34 national champions and 566 All-America performances in his career.

Hart stepped away from the head coach job 14 years ago, but he has remained the Director of Track and Field since then.

As much as Hart has been known as a quarter-miler coach, he wants to be remembered as a track and field coach. His first successes came in the half-mile, but he has also had success with athletes across the spectrum of events in track and field.

Hart gave the first women's scholarship at Baylor to Suzie Snider in 1973. At the time, the Baylor athletic director refused to give women athletic scholarships. Hart gave up one of his men's scholarships to make it happen. Snider held the Baylor school records in the shot put and discus for more than 30 years. She also played basketball and owns the collegiate record for most points scored with 3,861 points.

Hart, a Baylor graduate himself, started his coaching career fresh out of college at Little Rock Central High in Arkansas. He spent six years coaching high school before taking over the Baylor program.

At 85 years old, Hart could have retired a long time ago. However, he found himself trapped in the classic coaches quandary. There was always another athlete to see through the program. With the urging of his wife, Hart finally set an end to his desire to see athletes through the program. He chose Wil London as the last athlete he would stay for.

London saw success early in his career at Baylor. He placed second at the 2016 IAAF World U-20 Championships in the 400 meters. A year later he finished third in the 400 at the USATF Outdoor Championships, qualifying for the 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Championships. He world silver medal in the 4x400 relay.

Hart is already a hall of fame coach. He has been inducted into the Texas Sports, Arkansas Sports, Baylor Athletic and USA Track and Field Coaches Association halls of fame, all while he was still an active coach.

Once the season is over, Hart plans to spend more time with his wife. However, he will not disappear entirely from Baylor. He wants to maintain a presence, even if it is as a spectator in the stands.