Olympic Committee honors Fraley

Bob Fraley

Fresno State Director of Track and Field Bob Fraley was awarded the 2003 U.S. Olympic Committee's Developmental Coach Of the Year honor at the USOC's annual Coach of the Year recognition dinner in May.

Fraley, the recipient of USA Track and Field's 2003 Nike Coach of the Year honor last December, was one of three coaches recognized.

"This is obviously quite an honor and to tell you the truth, I am still just totally shocked," said Fraley, now in his 24th season with the Bulldogs. "To be included among that group of coaches at the banquet was just an incredible feeling. I am extremely proud that the Olympic Committee would select me for this award."

Fraley played a pivotal role in rejuvenating the pole vault in the United States when in 1989 he created the Pole Vault Summit, now held in Reno, Nev. Featuring competitions and an exchange of knowledge about pole vaulting, the event attracts everyone from teenagers to Olympic gold medalists.

His work has reaped dividends: in the last three years alone, Team USA men's pole vaulters have won the gold and silver medals at both the 2000 Olympic Games and 2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships, as well as the bronze medal at the 2001 World Outdoor Championships.

In 2003, his contributions reached a new level when he donated his salary to the school's track program in order to prevent it from being cut due to budgetary reasons.

A 1960 graduate of Fresno State, Fraley has coached 37 NCAA All-Americans at his alma mater. He has coached three individual NCAA titlists, 64 league champions and has been named the Region 8 head indoor coach of the year five times. The Athletics Congress appointed him to be an assistant coach on the U.S. Junior National Team in 1986.