Washington Mourns Passing Of Coach, Administrator Bill Roe
March 02, 2020 | Track & Field
SEATTLE – Washington Track & Field lost a member of its extended family when former team manager Bill Roe passed away on Saturday, Feb. 29, at the age of 69. Roe was a pillar of the local and national track and field communities, doing everything from organizing local all-comers meets, coaching at the collegiate level, all the way to serving as President of USA Track & Field from 2000-2008.
"Bill Roe was a dedicated loyal advocate for and an integral part of our sport," said USATF CEO Max Siegel. "His knowledge and kindness will be missed by everyone he knew in his nearly 50 years of service. Bill Roe is irreplaceable."
Roe served as team manager from 1969-71 under Head Coach Ken Shannon and graduated from UW in 1973 with a degree in General Studies – Sports Programs Administration. Shortly thereafter he would found the Club Northwest track club in Seattle which continues to operate to this day. He also was founder and editor of Northwest Runner magazine.
He directed a number of track & field meets, cross country meets and road races each year, including a series of a dozen summer all-comers meets in Seattle he has directed since 1969. In 2015, he was elected to the IAAF Cross Country Council where he served from 2015-2019.
Roe was a member of the founding TAC (later USATF) Board of Directors in 1979 and served on the organization's Board of Directors from 1986 until 2009. He became one of three vice presidents in 1988, re-elected in 1990 to a second two-year term. In 1992 and 1994, he won two-year terms as Secretary, and in 1996 was re-elected to the position of vice president for a four-year term. He was voted to his first term as President in 2000 and re-elected in 2004. Roe was chair of the men's LDR Committee from 2012-16. Roe most recently served as USATF's Organizational Services secretary and was the current chair of the USATF Club Council.
Along with all his national administrative duties, club directing, meet managing, and journalist endeavors, Roe also coached distance runners at Western Washington University for more than three decades. His athletes set more than 20 school records and earned numerous NAIA and NCAA All-America honors.
Info from the USATF release was used in this story.
"Bill Roe was a dedicated loyal advocate for and an integral part of our sport," said USATF CEO Max Siegel. "His knowledge and kindness will be missed by everyone he knew in his nearly 50 years of service. Bill Roe is irreplaceable."
Roe served as team manager from 1969-71 under Head Coach Ken Shannon and graduated from UW in 1973 with a degree in General Studies – Sports Programs Administration. Shortly thereafter he would found the Club Northwest track club in Seattle which continues to operate to this day. He also was founder and editor of Northwest Runner magazine.
He directed a number of track & field meets, cross country meets and road races each year, including a series of a dozen summer all-comers meets in Seattle he has directed since 1969. In 2015, he was elected to the IAAF Cross Country Council where he served from 2015-2019.
Roe was a member of the founding TAC (later USATF) Board of Directors in 1979 and served on the organization's Board of Directors from 1986 until 2009. He became one of three vice presidents in 1988, re-elected in 1990 to a second two-year term. In 1992 and 1994, he won two-year terms as Secretary, and in 1996 was re-elected to the position of vice president for a four-year term. He was voted to his first term as President in 2000 and re-elected in 2004. Roe was chair of the men's LDR Committee from 2012-16. Roe most recently served as USATF's Organizational Services secretary and was the current chair of the USATF Club Council.
Along with all his national administrative duties, club directing, meet managing, and journalist endeavors, Roe also coached distance runners at Western Washington University for more than three decades. His athletes set more than 20 school records and earned numerous NAIA and NCAA All-America honors.
Info from the USATF release was used in this story.
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