Nov. 2, 2005
METAIRIE, La. – On November 30th the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association will proudly induct Buddy Fowlkes into its Hall of Fame. Fowlkes, former head coach of Georgia Tech, will be joining 12 other individuals to form this year’s Hall of Fame Class.
“This is a very humbling experience, and I’m very grateful and honored to be inducted on the 30th of this month,” said Fowlkes. “I had a lot of help along the way that helped me get here. I think there were four factors that I can think of right now.
“One, Homer Rice really took an interest in athletics and track and field. He helped us get a new track and funded us up to about 80 percent.
“Second, I was blessed with tremendous athletes, such as Antonio McKay, Derek Mills and Derrick Adkins.
“Third, I had two great assistants that worked so hard, Grover Hinsdale [current Georgia Tech men’s head coach] and Alan Drosky [current Tech women’s track head coach].
“Finally, my wife’s understanding over the years that I was married to her, and the job.”
Fowlkes, the captain of the 1949 Tech track team and three-time SEC total point champion, was named head coach in 1965. Over the next three decades he elevated the Georgia Tech track and field program to extraordinary heights as the Yellow Jackets began to consistently rank among the nation’s elite.
Fowlkes’ list of accomplishments include three Olympic medalists, two World Record holders, 10 NCAA national champions, 50 All-Americans, 77 Atlantic Coast Conference champions and 126 All-ACC selections.
A 1988 inductee in the State of Georgia Athletic Hall of Fame, Fowlkes was twice named ACC Coach of the Year (1987, `88) and was honored as the 1985 NCAA Indoor Southeast Coach of the Year.
Fowlkes pupils include Antonio McKay, who won Gold and Bronze medals at the 1984 Olympics and Gold at the `88 Summer Games, Mike Armour, a former World Record holder in the 500 meters and James Purvis, a two-time national champion and five-time All-American.
The 2005 Class includes coaches whose careers rank prominently among some of the all-time greats. Their brilliant coaching careers have left a lasting impression on hundreds of young men and women student athletes, as well as the sports of track & field and cross country as a whole. As such the USTFCCCA will proudly induct them into our Hall of Fame at a special ceremony on the evening of Wednesday, November 30th in Jacksonville, Florida.
This year’s class stands as one of the most diverse in the 11-year history of the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame. Coming from all areas of the country and from different backgrounds and areas of specialty, this group enters as the largest class in the history of the Hall of Fame. The USTFCCCA is pleased to welcome these distinguished inductees into its Hall of Fame.
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