Blue Devils Adds Shawn Wilbourn To Track & Field Staff

DURHAM, N.C.-- Director of Track and Field Norm Ogilvie announced on Friday that Shawn Wilbourn, a member of the 1997 USA World Championship team in the decathlon, will be the new Blue Devil assistant coach in charge of multi-events, the pole vault, sprints and hurdles. Wilbourn heads to Duke after holding a similar position the past two years at the University of Georgia.

Wilbourn led his Bulldog charges to strong success at both the SEC Championships and NCAA regional level and his athletes recorded multiple personal bests in both the multi-events and pole vault for men and women. He also coached the Athens world-ranked long and triple jumper Patty Sylvester.

Prior to his stint at Georgia, Wilbourn spent four years at Cortland State University, the last two as Director of Men's and Women's Track and Field and Cross-Country. He was honored with numerous Atlantic Region and New York State Coach of the Year honors for his mentoring at Cortland State, while coaching 18 All-Americas and two national champions. Wilbourn's other collegiate coaching stops include the University of Arizona, Arizona State and his alma mater, Long Beach State University. Wilbourn earned his masters in Kinesiology from Long Beach in 2003.

Wilbourn is a USATF Level II certified coach, and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist.

As an athlete, Wilbourn was a 1996 Olympic Trials finalist in the decathlon, and competed at the World Championships for the United States in 1997. His career best in the decathlon is 8,268 points. Wilbourn was also a professional football player, drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round in 1991 and played with the San Francisco 49ers during the 1992 NFL campaign.

Wilbourn will begin his duties at Duke following the Olympic Trials in mid-July.

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Blue Devils Adds Shawn Wilbourn To Track & Field Staff

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