Stevenson Named Associate Head Coach
July 11, 2018 | Track & Field
SEATTLE – An Olympic medalist and NCAA Champion who has gone on to coach an Olympic medalist and multiple NCAA Champions, Toby Stevenson is the first addition to the coaching staff for Washington's Director of Track & Field Maurica Powell and Head Coach Andy Powell. Stevenson will be Associate Head Coach in charge of jumps and multis.
It is a reunion of sorts for Stevenson and the Powells, as they were teammates at Stanford with Toby and Andy contributing to the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Championship title for the Cardinal, its first in 66 years.
"Toby Stevenson is a tremendous addition to our staff, and we are incredibly excited for him to begin working with our student-athletes at Washington," said Maurica Powell. "Toby is in rare company, having coached both a men's and women's individual champion at the 2018 NCAA Championships in two different events, and having also won an individual NCAA title as a competitor. Toby is charismatic and fiercely competitive, and he will make an immediate impact with our men's and women's jumpers and multi-event athletes."
Stevenson comes to Washington following a four-year stint in Kentucky that concluded with a banner year in 2018. Stevenson coached Olivia Gruver to the NCAA Outdoor title in the women's pole vault, her second-straight NCAA Outdoor title, and guided Tim Duckworth to the NCAA title in the decathlon outdoors and the heptathlon indoors, becoming just the second man to win both titles in the same year.
Before Kentucky, Stevenson had a three year stint at his alma mater, highlighted by his work with Katerina Stefanidi, the 2012 NCAA Outdoor women's pole vault champion who went on to win the 2016 Olympic Gold Medal for Greece as well as 2017 IAAF World Championships Gold.
All told, Stevenson's athletes have captured five individual NCAA Championships in his seven years as a college coach.
"I am excited to be a part of the UW family," Stevenson said. "I would like to thank Maurica and Andy for the opportunity to be a part of such a program and for their confidence and trust in me. There is a rich tradition at UW and their vision for the future of the program is inspiring and passionate. I am looking forward to pushing that vision alongside them."
"I need to thank (former University of Kentucky) Coach Edrick Floreal for his leadership, guidance and friendship over the past 20 years and his trust in me as a coach. Thank you for everything. I would also like to thank all the administration, staff and student athletes at the University of Kentucky for making my time there an amazing experience. I wish them all the best of luck."
Stevenson reached rarefied air himself, as he was the 10th man in history to clear the 6.00-meter mark in the pole vault. He qualified for Team USA for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and won the Silver Medal with a clearance of 19-4 ¼. The successful pro career came after a record-setting collegiate career at Stanford. He won the 1998 NCAA Championship and was runner-up in 2000 in Stanford's team title season. Stevenson was a six-time All-American and won the 2000 Pac-10 title clearing 18-9 ¼ for a meet record that still stands today. He was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.
"It is time to get to work and I am excited to do so at the University of Washington, where the culmination of academics, athletics and atmosphere, along with the leadership of Maurica and Andy will create something special," Stevenson said. "Go Huskies!"
Stevenson Notes
- Gruver and Duckworth both went into the all-time collegiate Top-10 lists last season. Gruver became the No. 2 performer in NCAA history indoors when she vaulted over 15-3 ¾ at the SEC Indoor Championships. Duckworth went to No. 7 in NCAA history with a decathlon score of 8,336 points in winning the 2018 national title, while also jumping the NCAA decathlon long jump record of 26-3 ½. His heptathlon best of 6,188 points is the British National Record.
- Stevenson also coached Ellen Ekholm to consecutive NCAA Outdoor appearances in the high jump, placing 10th in 2018 and making a PR of 6-0 in April. Another SEC title came from Justin Kretchmer who won the 2015 men's high jump title and made the 2017 NCAA Outdoor meet.
- At Stanford, Stevenson helped Dartis Willis reach the NCAA Outdoor Championships as just a freshman in 2012 and Jules Sharpe made the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2011. Sharpe had a best of 7-3 working with Stevenson while Willis made a high of 7-1 ½ in 2012.
- In her three years with Stevenson at Stanford, Stefanidi was remarkably consistent, finishing no worse than fifth at six NCAA Championships, three indoors and three outdoors. She was the 2011 NCAA Indoor runner-up and third-place at both the 2011 NCAA Outdoor and 2012 NCAA Indoor meets.
- In-between college coaching stops, Stevenson lived in Sweden where he was the Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of the Hammarby Track & Field Club in Stockholm, overseeing a large staff and handling budgeting, expenses, travel, compliance standards and other daily operations to help develop elite athletes.
- Stevenson also still owns the facility record at Washington's own Dempsey Indoor, as he cleared 19-0 ¾ in 2004.
- Stevenson earned his Bachelor's degree in Economics in 2000 from Stanford and earned an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics in 2014.
It is a reunion of sorts for Stevenson and the Powells, as they were teammates at Stanford with Toby and Andy contributing to the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Championship title for the Cardinal, its first in 66 years.
"Toby Stevenson is a tremendous addition to our staff, and we are incredibly excited for him to begin working with our student-athletes at Washington," said Maurica Powell. "Toby is in rare company, having coached both a men's and women's individual champion at the 2018 NCAA Championships in two different events, and having also won an individual NCAA title as a competitor. Toby is charismatic and fiercely competitive, and he will make an immediate impact with our men's and women's jumpers and multi-event athletes."
Stevenson comes to Washington following a four-year stint in Kentucky that concluded with a banner year in 2018. Stevenson coached Olivia Gruver to the NCAA Outdoor title in the women's pole vault, her second-straight NCAA Outdoor title, and guided Tim Duckworth to the NCAA title in the decathlon outdoors and the heptathlon indoors, becoming just the second man to win both titles in the same year.
Before Kentucky, Stevenson had a three year stint at his alma mater, highlighted by his work with Katerina Stefanidi, the 2012 NCAA Outdoor women's pole vault champion who went on to win the 2016 Olympic Gold Medal for Greece as well as 2017 IAAF World Championships Gold.
All told, Stevenson's athletes have captured five individual NCAA Championships in his seven years as a college coach.
"I am excited to be a part of the UW family," Stevenson said. "I would like to thank Maurica and Andy for the opportunity to be a part of such a program and for their confidence and trust in me. There is a rich tradition at UW and their vision for the future of the program is inspiring and passionate. I am looking forward to pushing that vision alongside them."
"I need to thank (former University of Kentucky) Coach Edrick Floreal for his leadership, guidance and friendship over the past 20 years and his trust in me as a coach. Thank you for everything. I would also like to thank all the administration, staff and student athletes at the University of Kentucky for making my time there an amazing experience. I wish them all the best of luck."
Stevenson reached rarefied air himself, as he was the 10th man in history to clear the 6.00-meter mark in the pole vault. He qualified for Team USA for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and won the Silver Medal with a clearance of 19-4 ¼. The successful pro career came after a record-setting collegiate career at Stanford. He won the 1998 NCAA Championship and was runner-up in 2000 in Stanford's team title season. Stevenson was a six-time All-American and won the 2000 Pac-10 title clearing 18-9 ¼ for a meet record that still stands today. He was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.
"It is time to get to work and I am excited to do so at the University of Washington, where the culmination of academics, athletics and atmosphere, along with the leadership of Maurica and Andy will create something special," Stevenson said. "Go Huskies!"
Stevenson Notes
- Gruver and Duckworth both went into the all-time collegiate Top-10 lists last season. Gruver became the No. 2 performer in NCAA history indoors when she vaulted over 15-3 ¾ at the SEC Indoor Championships. Duckworth went to No. 7 in NCAA history with a decathlon score of 8,336 points in winning the 2018 national title, while also jumping the NCAA decathlon long jump record of 26-3 ½. His heptathlon best of 6,188 points is the British National Record.
- Stevenson also coached Ellen Ekholm to consecutive NCAA Outdoor appearances in the high jump, placing 10th in 2018 and making a PR of 6-0 in April. Another SEC title came from Justin Kretchmer who won the 2015 men's high jump title and made the 2017 NCAA Outdoor meet.
- At Stanford, Stevenson helped Dartis Willis reach the NCAA Outdoor Championships as just a freshman in 2012 and Jules Sharpe made the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2011. Sharpe had a best of 7-3 working with Stevenson while Willis made a high of 7-1 ½ in 2012.
- In her three years with Stevenson at Stanford, Stefanidi was remarkably consistent, finishing no worse than fifth at six NCAA Championships, three indoors and three outdoors. She was the 2011 NCAA Indoor runner-up and third-place at both the 2011 NCAA Outdoor and 2012 NCAA Indoor meets.
- In-between college coaching stops, Stevenson lived in Sweden where he was the Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of the Hammarby Track & Field Club in Stockholm, overseeing a large staff and handling budgeting, expenses, travel, compliance standards and other daily operations to help develop elite athletes.
- Stevenson also still owns the facility record at Washington's own Dempsey Indoor, as he cleared 19-0 ¾ in 2004.
- Stevenson earned his Bachelor's degree in Economics in 2000 from Stanford and earned an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics in 2014.
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