Former Mississippi State head track and field coach Bob Kitchens was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2016.
Former MSU Coach Bob Kitchens Inducted Into USTFCCCA Hall Of Fame
December 15, 2016 | Track & Field
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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Former Mississippi State track and field coach Bob Kitchens has been inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Hall of Fame's Class of 2016, the organization announced this week.
Kitchens coached Mississippi State from 1979-88, tutoring the Bulldogs to 28 All-America honors in that span.
During his tenure in Starkville, Lorenzo Daniel won the 1988 NCAA outdoor title in the 200m, a year after Garry Frank landed the NCAA championship in the shot put. He also coached MSU's men's 4x400m relay team of Michael Hadley, Daryl Jones, Michael Moore and George Washington to first in the nation in 1982.
Kitchens' Mississippi State athletes claimed eight individual SEC indoor titles and 13 outdoor crowns. Photo courtesy of Craig Macaluso (USTFCCCA)
Under Kitchens' watch, Daniel finished as one of the top sprinters in the world. In addition to winning the 200m national title in 1988, Daniel also won the SEC outdoor 200m championship all four seasons and took home three indoor conference crowns.
While at MSU, Daniel ran a World Junior record 20.07 in the 200m, a mark that was not eclipsed until Usain Bolt almost 20 years later. Daniel's time still rates sixth-fastest on the list.
As a senior, Daniel ran 19.93 to break the collegiate 200m record, but he bettered that mark at the NCAA Championships with a 19.87, a time that would stand until Justin Gatlin bettered it by one one-hundredth of a second 14 years later.
Kitchens coached a combined 26 national champions and 265 All-Americans during his illustrious career that included stops at West Texas A&M and UTEP in addition to his time at MSU.
