Track staff almost finalized
Willie Randolph has officially returned to his alma mater, taking charge of the men's and women's track and field and cross country programs.
Effective July 1, Randolph is the overseer to a now-combined CMU men's and women's track and cross country team.
"I'm excited about having this opportunity and I'm not looking down the road anywhere," Randolph said. "I'm looking right here, right now."
He will begin the transition from the previous program with separate teams, to the new model. Specialty coaches will be in charge of specific groups - hurdles, jumps, sprints, throw and distance.
During practices, all athletes - men and women - will separate into these specific groups.
Randolph is taking one of the positions created by the retirement of former men's track and cross country coach Jim Knapp. He said he is close to finalizing his staff, with just one position remaining.
"I have finalized pretty much 99.9 percent of my staff," he said. "We have some great candidates for that (final) position."
The other coaches will not be identified until they are finalized through the university. At that time, they will be released through the CMU athletic Web site.
"The others are actually in transition, getting ready to move here within the next week or so," Randolph said. "They are coaches that are very talented."
Karen Lutzke, the former women's track and cross country coach, will not be retained. She was head coach for the last six years of both teams and has been on staff since 1999. She could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
"We have decided on going in a different direction on that side," Randolph said. "We wish Karen the best in her future."
Randolph was a two-time letterman at CMU as a hurdler and graduated in 1998. He competed under Knapp and Craig Fuller.
Knapp said Randolph showed traits as a student-athlete that translate to coaching.
"He was a very disciplined, hard working student athlete. Highly motivated, very coachable," he said. "Those aren't things you lose right away. It's a way of life. I'm sure that he would bring those to the coaching table.
"To me, leadership is all about coming to work and working hard every day. Willie is someone who came to work everyday."
Randolph said Knapp and Fuller have left everlasting marks on the program.
"They're still a part of this program, they'll always be a part of this program and I want them to know that," he said. "I am here because of them."
Upon graduation, Randolph began his coaching career at Belmont University, before doing stints at Vanderbilt University, the University of New Orleans and most recently at the University of Louisville.
Randolph was head coach for three years in New Orleans, where they used a similar combined model. At Louisville, he worked directly with sprinters and hurdlers.
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