Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University Graduate Jim Bibbs
EMU Men's T&F/XC Great Elected to USTFCCCA Hall of Fame
8/13/2015 3:29:00 PM | Men's XC, Men's Track & Field
Jim Bibbs to be inducted into the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2015
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Jim Bibbs, a 1952 Eastern Michigan University graduate, was recently elected by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) to the Coaches Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2015. The six inductees will be honored at the 2015 USTFCCCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas on December 15th.
Before beginning his sprinting career, Bibbs was an accomplished baseball player. Upon graduation from high school, the New York Yankees offered him a Class A contract. However, he turned down the offer and decided to enroll at EMU instead. Despite beginning his sprinting career only one year prior to college, Bibbs had a stellar collegiate career. Soon after joining the track team, he tied the world record in the 60-yard dash at 6.1. He then went on to win three consecutive Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles in the 100 and 220 yard dash.
After being an assistant for the previous nine seasons, Bibbs took over as head coach of the Michigan State University Spartans men's track & field program in 1977. He also became the first African-American head coach in the school's history. While head coach, his student-athletes won a total of 52 Big Ten titles. Additionally, they earned All-America honors 26 times, claimed three NCAA titles, and set two world records. Bibbs coached standouts Marshall Dill and Herb Washington, who combined for three NCAA titles, six All-America honors, and 18 Big Ten titles in the early 1970s. He remains the longest tenured track and field coach in program history.
Bibbs also coached internationally, serving as the coach of the women's track and field team at the 1967 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, Canada. He guided Team USA to eight wins out of the 11 total events.
Jim found success at other levels of coaching as well. Before beginning his coaching career at the collegiate level, he was the head coach at his high school alma mater. There, he coached the Ecorse High School boy's team to a fourth-place finish in 1964, and improved steadily until finally winning the state title in 1967. Furthermore, he founded the women's Detroit Track Club in 1964, whom he coached to national realy titles.
Before beginning his sprinting career, Bibbs was an accomplished baseball player. Upon graduation from high school, the New York Yankees offered him a Class A contract. However, he turned down the offer and decided to enroll at EMU instead. Despite beginning his sprinting career only one year prior to college, Bibbs had a stellar collegiate career. Soon after joining the track team, he tied the world record in the 60-yard dash at 6.1. He then went on to win three consecutive Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles in the 100 and 220 yard dash.
After being an assistant for the previous nine seasons, Bibbs took over as head coach of the Michigan State University Spartans men's track & field program in 1977. He also became the first African-American head coach in the school's history. While head coach, his student-athletes won a total of 52 Big Ten titles. Additionally, they earned All-America honors 26 times, claimed three NCAA titles, and set two world records. Bibbs coached standouts Marshall Dill and Herb Washington, who combined for three NCAA titles, six All-America honors, and 18 Big Ten titles in the early 1970s. He remains the longest tenured track and field coach in program history.
Bibbs also coached internationally, serving as the coach of the women's track and field team at the 1967 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, Canada. He guided Team USA to eight wins out of the 11 total events.
Jim found success at other levels of coaching as well. Before beginning his coaching career at the collegiate level, he was the head coach at his high school alma mater. There, he coached the Ecorse High School boy's team to a fourth-place finish in 1964, and improved steadily until finally winning the state title in 1967. Furthermore, he founded the women's Detroit Track Club in 1964, whom he coached to national realy titles.
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