Track and Field
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
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In his second year with the Ducks' high-profile coaching staff, assistant coach Rock Light continues to prove himself among the nation's authorities in the men's and women's jumps, sprints, hurdles and multi-events.
A highly-regarded coach at the collegiate, U.S. and international levels for three decades, he helped the Duck women jumpstart their transition process in 2004. At the national level, Abby Andrus made NCAA outdoor and indoor appearances in the heptathlon and pentathlon, and Sofie Abildtrup earned an at-large invite in the 400. His unit's finest performance undoubtedly came in the Pac-10 Championships as seven of his eight entries either equalled or bettered their pre-meet rankings, and helped the team rack up 58 points - nearly double their projected total. At season's end, six UO women improved their standings on the school all-time lists in seven of the nine individual events he oversaw - 100 (Abildtrup, 10th, 12.01), 200 (Abildtrup, seventh, 23.93), 400 (Abildtrup, third, 52.92), High Jump (Rachael Kriz, eighth, 5-8), 400 Hurdles (Andrus, fifth, 59.29; Kayla Mellott, seventh, 60.72), Triple Jump (Clarice Hayward-Lee, fifth, 40-8 3/4; Maegan Traver, 10th, 39-7), Heptathlon (Andrus, fifth, 5,325).
Prior to his arrival in Eugene, Light was better known for the success at Louisiana State as the team’s recruiting coordinator and mentor for their heralded M&W multi-event, high jump and men’s hurdle student-athletes. As an assistant coach for six seasons from August 1989 through August 1995, his athletes claimed four NCAA titles (men’s and women’s high jump, heptathlon and decathlon), 15 All-America performances, 13 Southeastern Conference titles and 12 school records. Indoors and outdoors during that run, the LSU men and women combined for 11 NCAA team titles, eight SEC titles and 19 top-10 NCAA team finishes. In that stretch, he also coached post-collegian Charles Austin, 1996 Olympic gold medalist, 1991 World Championships gold medalist and Olympic record holder (7-10).
In his previous coaching position, he served as men’s and women’s head track and field and cross country coach at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos (1/83-7/89). He guided SWTSU to a pair of Southland Conference titles (and six runner-up finishes) to go along with five Gulf Star Conference crowns. Individually, his athletes won seven combined league titles and 21 All-America honors. In return, he was named 1989 NCAA District VI Coach of the Year, and overall was a seven-time Southland and Gulf Star Conference Coach of the Year honoree.
Light began his coaching career as women’s track and field and cross country head coach at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colo., for two seasons (8/80-8/82). He was honored as NAIA National Coach of the Year following his team’s NAIA cross country win in 1981 (and then-meet record low 25 points), and outdoor national runner-up finish in 1982. Individually, his athletes claimed four individual TF/XC crowns, two NAIA national records and 15 All-America plaques.
In between his LSU and Oregon stints, he worked as a financial advisor in Baton Rouge, La., from 1995-2003, and also served as a USA Track and Field lead instructor for coaches education since 1991. He has instructed coaches in Level II jumps and combined events, and assisted in developing the course curriculum for both Level II programs.
As a student-athlete, he was a two-time All-America sprinter at Adams State, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation in 1979, and added a master’s degree in exercise physiology in 1980.
A native of Lamar, Colo., Light (8-4-57) and his wife Sharon have two sons, Tyler (23) and Brett (20).
