By Jonathan Caudle, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Following five years away from the program, Tennessee Tech head coach Peter Dalton announced the addition of former Golden Eagle head coach Tony Cox as a volunteer assistant coach for the track and field and cross country programs.
Cox will serve as the Golden Eagle throws coach, as well as serving in a support role during the cross country season.
"I'm delighted to welcome a living legend back to the team," expressed Dalton. "Coach Cox is not only highly regarded within the Cookeville community, but also within the larger track and field community. I'm certain our student-athletes will benefit greatly from his wealth of knowledge and experience."
Prior to returning to the Golden Eagles as a volunteer assistant, Cox served as an assistant track coach at Wilson Central High School from 2015 to 2019, coaching jumpers, hurdlers, and sprinters. He also took the lead in hosting the school's first home track meet. Outside of working at the high school, Cox also currently serves as the head throws official for Vanderbilt University working with USA Track & Field.
Over the past five years, Cox has served as the head throws official for the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships, in addition to the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships.
Cox was named head coach of the Tech cross country and track and field programs in May of 2004, serving in that capacity for over a decade.
He began his career as a Golden Eagle in 1998-1999 and 2002-204 as an assistant cross country and track coach. He helped with recruitment efforts, scheduling meets, training athletes, directing meets, and budgeting.
In addition to serving as an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech, Cox worked as the Tennessee State Parks Running Tour Director. He oversaw the 15-race Grand Prix series, working to define the rules for the series and determining the awards structure at the end of each tour.
Cox has USATF Level II certification in all events. The USATF offers three levels of coaching education as part of its mission to promote and develop all aspects of the sport of track and field. Cox completed the Level I program in July 1999. The Level II course is a comprehensive, 60-hour program focusing on a particular event area as well as an in-depth look at training theory, physiology, biomechanics, and sports psychology.
He also has 26 years of experience as a competitive runner, is a four-time Boston Marathon qualifier, and was a 1997 recipient of the Tennessee Service Award for his work with the tour.
Cox, a Crossville, Tenn. native, earned a bachelor's degree in geology from Tennessee Tech in 1983, before adding a second bachelor's degree from Tech in chemistry in 1992. He also graduated from Tech with his master's degree in exercise science in 2009. He was also a member of the Tech cross country team from 1979 to 1981.
