Wieczorek leaves a legacy as Hawkeyes’ track coach

IOWA CITY — Larry Wieczorek took his first glance at Iowa's then-cinder track in 1964 as a freshman from suburban Chicago. Fifty years later, he leaves the Iowa track scene with treasure chest of memories and hardware.

Wieczorek, 67, announced Tuesday that will retire July 3 as Iowa's director of track and field and cross country. He coached at Iowa for 30 years and oversaw the merging of the men's and women's programs. He helped crown 79 Big Ten champions and 53 All-Americans during his tenure.

But what Wieczorek will miss the most has nothing to do with victories or ribbons. He said he'll miss the day-to-day interactions with the athletes. After all, that's what coaches do best.

'I could still keep on coaching. I still love the process,' he said. 'Every day, I'm still enthusiastic, fired up about what I'm doing. But I've been thinking, 'It's 30 years at Iowa. Forty-two years of coaching. I'll be 68 in September, and I just kind of added up the numbers and said, 'It's time. It's a good place to stop while I still have gas in the tank and still feel like going.'

'I don't think there would be a time where I wouldn't miss it. So I just thought the numbers added up to me, this being a good time.'

Wieczorek was a four-time All-American and six-time Big Ten champion for Iowa as a cross country and distance runner. He once held five different Big Ten distance records and still owns Iowa's indoor two-mile mark. He was inducted into UI's hall of fame in 1998 and also is a member of the Drake Relays Hall of Fame.

He became an assistant coach in 1984 under Ted Wheeler and took over as cross country coach three years later. In 1997, Wieczorek replaced Wheeler as men's track coach. In 2008-09, Iowa's men's and women's programs were combined under Wieczorek.

As for his best moment, that's easy. And not just because it happened just three years ago.

'That greatest memory is my wife in tears hugging me right here on this spot after we won the Big Ten championship,' Wieczorek said. 'She was so moved by it all, and that definitely was my greatest memory. It's greater than anything I ever did as an individual.

'I think in a sense I've never lost the hunger since that day, but I've been at peace since that day. In your career you think, 'Hey, you've won a Big Ten championship. They're hard to come by and you did it at home in front of the home crowd and you did it in dramatic style with a great track and field team.' So sometimes you feel like, 'Hey, I'm a lucky guy ... at your alma mater.''

Iowa will replace Wieczorek's position internally. Layne Anderson has served as Iowa's men's and women's head coach for the last two years and has led the women since 2008. Iowa City native and former NCAA champion Joey Woody has worked with sprinters and hurdlers for the last eight years. Other track assistants include Scott Cappos, Clive Roberts and Molly Jones.

Once the program hires the director, it will then hire an assistant coach — probably for distance events — from a national search.

Wieczorek first approached Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta around April 1 to discuss retirement. Wieczorek wanted to wait until after the Big Ten meet and first round of NCAA regionals before making his retirement public.

Barta considered Wieczorek's retirement a bittersweet moment.

'On the one hand, I am delighted for Larry and his wife, Jackie,' Barta said. 'I am certain they are very excited about the next phase of their lives together. On the other hand, it is extremely difficult for me to put into words the significance of Larry's many contributions, not only to our track and field and cross country programs, but to our department, institution and community. The University of Iowa will miss Larry tremendously.'

Wieczorek has one more meet as Iowa's track director. Next week Iowa will send 11 athletes to the NCAA outdoor track and field championships in Eugene, Ore. It's likely to be a fond farewell for Wieczorek.

'Throughout my whole coaching life I've hardly ever looked back,' Wieczorek said. 'That's hard to believe. People talk about, they remember this and they remember that. But I've always had another athlete, another team in front of me in the present moment, and so I've always kind of focused on that. But I am starting to reflect a little bit more now.'

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