CHARLIE POWELL
Been with SPIRE since December 2011
Hometown: New Britain, CT
Languages Spoken: English
Title: Director Emeritus of Track & Field
Bio:
Throughout his extensive career, Powell has coached Olympians, two NCAA individual Champions, 18 NCAA All-Americans, one Pan Am Champion, 60 individual NCAA Championship Qualifiers, over 100 individual Conference Champions, over 100 All-East Athletes, two NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients, two Thouron Scholars, Canadian and Australian National Champions and over 50 Academic All-Ivy Team Recipients. Powell’s athletes set 15 conference records, 22 outdoor school records and 21 indoor school records.
“I can’t wait to get started on this new challenge and new chapter of my life,” said Coach Powell. “SPIRE is breaking new ground as the ultimate training, education and competition facility in the country for not only elite athletes and Post-Graduate athletes, but also for high school, collegiate, professional, Paralympic and masters level athletes. The unique presence of the SPIRE Performance Center and one of, if not the, best track & field complexes in the world, allows all athletes to re-vitalize and re-think the road to success. I am honored to become involved in such an endeavor.”
In addition to coaching the University of Pennsylvania teams, Powell has been the director of Penn Relays Distance Night, the coordinator of track events, and a member of the Penn Relays Planning Committee since 1984. He also serves as a member of the Penn Relays High School and College Championship Committees. Powell is a former President of the Heptagonal Coaches Association and IC4A Track & Field Committee Member. At the national level, he was chair of the TFA/USA Olympic Development 800-meter group from 2000-10, and an Olympic Development Committee member for the 800 to 1,500 events from 1998-2010. In 2001-02, Powell was selected as the Mondo Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year by his peers from the United States Track Coaches Association.
Education and Accreditations:
- Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from Western Kentucky University
- Master of Science in Biomechanics from Western Kentucky University
Experience (Coaching and Playing):
- Trumbull HS – 4 years Football / Track & Field
- Virginia Tech – 2 years Football / Track & Field
- Western Kentucky U. – 2 years Football / Track & Field
- 1976 -1978 Assistant coach of T&F at Western Kentucky U.
- 1978 – 1980 Head Coach of T&F at The University of Delaware
- 1980 – 1985 Assistant coach of T&F at The University of Pennsylvania
- 1985 – 2011 Head Coach and director of T&F at The University of Pennsylvania
