July 29, 2002
LAS VEGAS - Barbara Ferrell-Edmonson has been named head coach for the women's track and field and cross country programs at UNLV, athletics director John Robinson announced Monday.
Ferrell-Edmonson comes to Las Vegas from California State University Dominguez Hills where she has been serving as the Director of Community Relations for University Advancement. She started at CSUDH in 1999 as the Director of Development in the same area.
From 1991-99, Ferrell-Edmonson was at the University of Southern California and became USC's women's track and field head coach in 1992. Some of her head coaching highlights at USC include: a fifth-place finish at the 1998 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, a third-place finish at the 1998 Pacific 10 Conference Championships, a second-place finish at the 1997 Pac-10s, defeating 10-time defending NCAA champion LSU in a dual meet on USC's way to a 14th-place showing at the 1997 NCAAs and the program's first-ever Pac-10 championship in 1996.
When Ferrell-Edmonson came to USC in 1991, she became one of the few female coaches to handle both the men's and women's sprinters at a Division I program. Ferrell-Edmonson took control of the women's team in April of 1992 and led the Trojans to a third-place finish in the Pac-10.
"Barbara was a perfect fit for what we were looking for in this position," Robinson said. "She brings great experience and knowledge in the entire scope of track and field and cross country and has experience in coaching in almost every area of the sport. She has tremendous connections in Southern California and her experience in community relations work will help expand our program and its reach into the community."
Ferrell-Edmonson came back to USC in 2001 to serve as a volunteer women's track coach and has been performing that role since.
Ferrell-Edmonson is a former world record holder in the 50m, 100m and 200m and, competing under her maiden name of Ferrell, was a member of the 1968 and 1972 United States Olympic teams. She was a member of the gold medal-winning 4x100m relay team and also won the 200m silver medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Ferrell-Edmonson is a member of the U.S. National Track and Field Hall of Fame (1986 inductee).
"I am very excited to be coming to UNLV and the opportunity that is presents," Ferrell-Edmonson said. "I am looking forward to getting started, meeting people in the Las Vegas community and leading this program into the future."
Ferrell-Edmonson was an elementary teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School district for eight years (1968-76) and continued to compete on an international level for much of her teaching career. In 1977, she moved on to become the United Teachers of Los Angeles union representative. At the same time, she returned to track as a coach for the Beyond Athletics Track Club. In 1982, she stepped up to the college ranks, coaching the sprinters at West Los Angeles Junior College.
Ferrell-Edmonson became the head boys' and girls' coach at St, Bernard High in Playa Del Rey, Calif., in 1968, and led both teams to the league title.
Ferrell-Edmonson graduated with a bachelor's degree from California State University Los Angeles in 1969. She is the wife of former UCLA sprint great Warren Edmonson, the 1972 NCAA 100m champion. The couple has two daughters who attend USC.
