June 8, 2006

The United States Olympic Committee announced Bruin great Bobby Kersee as a finalist for its National Coach of the Year honors. The awards will be presented, June 23 during the Night of Champions event at the U.S. Olympic Assembly in La Jolla, Calif.

The 2005 USA Track & Field Nike Coach of the Year, Kersee was the women's sprints/hurdles coach for Team USA at the 2005 IAAF World Outdoor Championships. Kersee served as the personal coach to Allyson Felix and UCLA great Michelle Perry, both of whom won gold medals at the 2005 World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Felix won the women's 200m and Perry won the 100m hurdles. Both women also won their events at the USA Outdoor Championships and were #1 ranked in their events.

Since 1994, Kersee has been a volunteer on the Bruin women's track & field staff. From 1985-93, he was UCLA's head coach. Along with Felix and Perry, Kersee in his career has also coached such UCLA standouts as Florence Griffith-Joyner, Gail Devers, Joanna Hayes, Sheena Johnson and his wife, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the world record-holder in the heptathlon.