UCLA Combines Men’s, Women’s Track Programs

The UCLA men’s and women’s track programs will be combined, beginning next year, in an effort to cut costs and comply with new NCAA restrictions regarding coaches.

Judy Holland, UCLA senior associate athletic director, said Thursday that she had been examining such a move for two years, but that NCAA legislation enacted last year made the merger imperative. The new rules, effective Aug. 1, allow only four full-time coaches per sport, along with two part-time assistants and two volunteer coaches.

By combining the men’s and women’s programs, UCLA will avoid having some coaches count twice--such as throws coach Art Venegas, who counted as a full-time coach for each program. Under the restructuring, Venegas will go on the books as one coach, thus creating another position.

Holland said that men’s coach Bob Larsen and women’s coach Bob Kersee will become co-head coaches over the combined programs.

Larsen will coach cross-country and distances, and Kersee will coach sprinters, jumpers and hurdlers, Holland said.

Men’s sprint coach John Smith will fill the fourth full-time position. Holland said she was undecided about the two assistant positions, but indicated that she wants at least one woman on the staff. Jeanette Bolden, a 1984 Olympian and former UCLA All-American, probably will stay on. She is an assistant women’s coach.