University of Houston Athletics
Leroy Burrell Earns Contract Extension Through 2021
10/11/2018 11:27:00 AM | Track and Field
Led Houston to a third-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships
HOUSTON – A winner of 36 conference championships and on the heels of a third-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, University of Houston Track & Field Head Coach Leroy Burrell has signed a two-year extension to his existing contract through the 2021 season.
“The amount of success Leroy and his staff have had at Houston is staggering. Yet, they are never satisfied and continue to push to be the best in the nation,” said Houston Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman. “The nation was reminded again this past June of our proud athletics tradition when our Track & Field program stood on the NCAA Championships podium. We look forward to enjoying many more successes under Leroy's leadership.”
The 2018 USTFCCCA South Central Regional Coach of the Year, Burrell is entering his 21st season with the Cougars. In his first 20 years, Burrell has won a combined 36 men's and women's conference championships, including three (men's and women's outdoor; men's indoor) in 2018 and four straight American Athletic Conference men's indoor titles.
“It's an honor to have my contract extended and to have the honor of leading Houston Track and Field for years to come,” Burrell said. “This is an amazing time to be at the university, and I am very excited that I will have the opportunity to continue to lead this program to further success.
“I'm always humbled with things like this, because the success that I am credited with is because of a lot of hard work and commitment by the assistant coaching staff and the student-athletes. Will Blackburn, Carl Lewis, Kyle Tellez and Steve Magness have put in a great deal of work into building this program, and I am grateful to lead a staff with such the passion and commitment to the university.
“I want to thank Chris Pezman and Dr. Renu Khator as well as the rest of the UH athletics senior staff and UH administration for their belief in our vision and their support for the Track and Field staff and student-athletes. I am truly honored.”
Burrell has led the Houston men to five individual NCAA championships in the last two seasons, including back-to-back titles in the outdoor 4x100-meter relay, where the Cougars set an NCAA record in 2018. Burrell's son, Cameron Burrell, won the 100-meter dash championship during the 2018 outdoor slate, while Elijah Hall became just the fourth sprinter in NCAA history to sweep the 60- and 200-meter dash indoor championships.
Burrell also coached Errol Nolan to the NCAA indoor championship in the 400-meter dash in 2013. Jenny Adams won long jump national championships during the 2000 outdoor season and the 2001 indoor season, and Lisa-May Duffus won the 2000 indoor national championship in the 55-meter hurdles.
Burrell has seen over 80 student-athletes reach the pinnacle of collegiate track & field, earning NCAA All-America honors, and has coached nearly 20 relay teams to the NCAA Championships. Burrell has also helped lead four athletes to the Olympics, including Nolan (Jamaica), Ebonie Floyd (USA), Seun Adigun (Nigeria) and Ngozi Onwumere (Nigeria), with Adigun and Onwumere serving as Houston's first Winter Olympians in the bobsled.
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