COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Texas A&M formally introduced Leroy Burrell as the 20th head coach of its track & field program, welcoming the Olympic gold medalist sprinter and longtime collegiate head coach to Aggieland with a message of expectations, tradition and momentum.<\/p>\n
Athletic director Trev Alberts said at an introductory press conference that Texas A&M\u2019s choice came down to more than a r\u00e9sum\u00e9. \u201cFirst and foremost, he\u2019s a man of integrity,\u201d Alberts said. \u201cAll they kept telling me was, he is a great human being.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burrell arrives after four seasons at Auburn, where he helped the Tigers earn NCAA team trophies in three straight years, including a runner-up outdoor finish in 2024, followed by third indoors and fourth outdoors in 2025 and fourth indoors in 2026. During his final season on The Plains, Auburn athletes produced multiple record-breaking performances at the NCAA championships, including an NCAA record 4×100-meter relay, along with NCAA and world-record short hurdles marks.<\/p>\n
Burrell will have a tough act to follow, succeeding the winningest coach in the sports\u2019 history, Pat Henry. The new Aggie coach knew exactly whose shoes he\u2019d be stepping into, calling Henry \u201cthe legend, the GOAT\u201d and \u201cthe coach of coaches,\u201d adding, \u201cI am honored to be your friend.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry, who attended the introductory press conference, gave his stamp of approval to the hire.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the outside, I think he does things right,\u201d Henry said. \u201cAcademics become first. It\u2019s about making sure that our athletes get their education. And being an athlete is second.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry also pointed to Burrell\u2019s ability to build complete rosters. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just about one or two event areas. It\u2019s about having a team,\u201d he said, before adding he wouldn\u2019t saddle Burrell with comparisons. \u201cNo, I\u2019m not going to put any pressure on Leroy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked what went into his decision, Burrell\u2019s answer was simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere wasn\u2019t any thought,\u201d Burrell said. \u201cI think when Texas A&M calls and offers you an opportunity like this, you say yes. And then you figure the rest of it out.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was clear Burrell thought of Texas A&M as a unique and one of the best opportunities in the country, looking around E.B. Cushing Stadium, where the press conference took place, and calling it a \u201cfantastic, fabulous, stupendous, palatial facility.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis place has support unlike any other,\u201d Burrell said. \u201cAnd I am looking forward to delivering on some success, a great deal of success, because the support demands it. And the expectation demands it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Texas A&M cross country coach Wendell McRaven called Burrell \u201ca natural fit,\u201d pointing to his Texas roots, SEC experience and reputation with recruits.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the first people I thought about was Coach Burrell\u2026 that sounds like a natural fit,\u201d McRaven said. \u201cHe knows the SEC, he knows Texas, he knows about Texas A&M.\u201d<\/p>\n
McRaven also said Burrell\u2019s background brings immediate recruiting impact. \u201cI think it gets instant legitimacy,\u201d he said, adding that once athletes learn what Burrell accomplished as a competitor, \u201ckids are like, \u2018whoa, this guy\u2019s the real deal.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Burrell\u2019s no stranger to College Station. It was at Texas A&M that he ran the fastest 200m time in the world at the Southwest Conference Championships in 1990 as an athlete for Houston. His wind-aided time of 19.61, while beating Baylor\u2019s Michael Johnson, was just one iconic moment of his illustrious career.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I thought about that,\u201d Burrell said. But, you know, I try not to dwell on the past. And I often times tell folks that those are my competitive days. Now, these are my coaching days.”<\/p>\n
Burrell laid out an early competitive focus. \u201cI really want to start out with a good solid 4×1,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m a sprinter at heart. I\u2019d like to build and develop one of the best sprint programs in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also addressed roster management in the current landscape. \u201cThere\u2019s that pesky little thing called the portal that we need to address,\u201d Burrell said, describing the need to provide \u201ccertainty and stability\u201d for current and prospective athletes.<\/p>\n
Burrell\u2019s predecessor, Henry, left a lasting legacy with ten team national championships in his 22 seasons in Aggieland. <\/p>\n
At his retirement press conference, Henry said there would be a lot of people interested in this job, but there was a short list of names he believed the school should pursue. \u201cHe\u2019s one of those,\u201d Henry confirmed on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Before Auburn, Burrell spent 23 seasons at Houston, winning 44 conference titles (31 men\u2019s, 13 women\u2019s) and earning multiple regional and conference coach of the year honors. Over his career, he has coached 19 national champions, produced 266 All-America honors, and developed 19 Olympians.<\/p>\n
As an athlete, Burrell was one of the sport\u2019s premier sprinters, earning Olympic gold in the 4×100 relay in 1992, along with world championship medals and multiple world records \u2014 including the 100 meters, where he held the \u201cworld\u2019s fastest man\u201d distinction after record runs in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n
Now, Burrell said, the focus is on the next chapter \u2014 and meeting the standard that comes with it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis program is rooted in greatness,\u201d he said, \u201cand we will just continue to build one day at a time to deliver on the promise of Texas A&M University.\u201d<\/p>\n
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