Alumni Spotlight: Cox, Glover

This year, the Houston track and field and cross country program will spotlight multiple alumni and their accomplishments both while as student-athletes and as accomplished members of the community.

The Houston track program has produced multiple All-Americans, Olympians, National Champions, successful businessmen, medical professionals, and influential teachers and coaches. Vincenzo Cox and Sandra Glover were successful as Cougars and now as coaches.

Cox (1996) never wanted to be a soccer coach but he is now a State Champion and National Coach of the Year. Glover (1991) taught while she trained to be the best hurdler in the world and now coaches the fastest Cougar hurdler in school history.

Vincenzo Cox, 1994-96, student-athlete
Not very many people can be an Olympic-caliber hurdler and a professional-caliber soccer player, but Houston alumni Vincenzo Cox is just that. The 1996 Olympic Trials hurdler had soccer tryouts in England and MLS club Columbus Crew before playing professionally in the USL (United Soccer League) with the Houston Hurricanes but really was content with his life as a teacher. Never a soccer coach.

At one point of his collegiate career, Cox held the third-fastest 400-meter hurdle time in school history, in 2023, he holds the sixth-best mark and fifth-fastest time.

Now, 16 years into his high school coaching career, Cox is working towards securing the prestigious UEFA Soccer License (Union of European Football Associations) as a volunteer assistant for the women's soccer team at Houston Christian University. The Miami, Florida native and US Army War Veteran, Cox is a National Coach of the Year (USATODAY and TopDrawSoccer), a UIL 6A State Champion and a UIL 6A Semifinalist as the Boy's Soccer Head Coach at Alief Elsik High School. Cox has has coached, developed and trained professional players, United States National Team Youth players and 3 Gatorade Player of the Year award winners at Elsik.

Former Cougar head coach and Cox's training partner Leroy Burrell said in an interview with Andscape in 2018, "Vincenzo literally took that program from nowhere to a national championship-caliber program. He was the right person at the right time to bring that soccer culture to life."

A 2022 finalist for The Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year, Cox's Elsik program figures to remain in the forefront of Texas high school soccer for the foreseeable future. The team, which has players from Central and South American countries along with a strong African presence.

Sandra Cummings Glover, 1990-91, student-athlete
Sandra Cummings Glover dominated the track and Southwest Conference competitors during her time at the University of Houston on the way to a memorable professional career. The two-time All-American captured the conference title in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles en route to national success.

The Palestine, Texas, native held the Houston school record in the 400 hurdles (56.97) for 32 years until it fell in 2023 and is Houston's outdoor facility record holder at 55.54. Glover medaled in the 400 hurdles at the World Championships in Athletics in both 2003 (silver) and 2005 (bronze). She was a national champion at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships across four consecutive years (1999-02) and owns five IAAF Golden League circuit victories.

She competed in the 2000 Sumer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, where she finished sixth among 34 competitors. Glover ranked in the Top 10 in the U.S. from 1991-07, including a Top 10 world ranking from 1999-2006.

For the last three years, Glover has served as an assistant coach for her alma mater working with the 400-meter hurdlers and the 800-meter crew. In 2023, Glover mentored Sydni Townsend to a school record, All-American honors and a silver medal in the 400 hurdles in 2023. She also coached Lloyd Frilot to a school record thanks to a six second improvement in the 800 meters by the junior. The men's 800 crew won both the indoor and outdoor American Athletic Conference titles in 2023 and Kelly-Ann Beckford won the 800 title at the indoor conference meet with a meet record time. Beckford also broke the 800 meters school record three straight meets, toppling a 24-year-old record set in 1999.

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Players Mentioned

Kelly-Ann Beckford

Lloyd Frilot

Sydni Townsend

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University of Houston Athletics