Aug. 14, 2003

The University of Kentucky track and field program has added Erin Tucker as an assistant coach, head coach Don Weber announced Thursday. Tucker joins the UK staff after a stint as sprints, hurdles and relays coach for the Illinois men’s track team. For the Cats, Tucker also will be in charge of sprints and hurdles, as well as horizontal jumps for the Kentucky men.

“We are extremely pleased to have Coach Tucker aboard,” Weber said. “We look for him to rebuild our sprint program, eventually getting it back to the level of what it was in the mid-90’s.”

At Illinois, Tucker coached his student-athletes to numerous accolades, including breaking four school records. Ten athletes under Tucker are currently in the Illinois record books, having broken school records in the 60 and 200-meter dashes, winning the Sprint Medley Relay at the Drake Relays, winning titles at the Big Ten Championship, and qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the indoor 200-meter dash and the 400-meter hurdles. Last season, Tucker guided a freshman to a second-place finish at the Junior Nationals in the 400-meter hurdles.

“I am so excited about getting the opportunity to coach in the Southeastern Conference,” Tucker said. “I used to compete in this conference, and I know that it is the best track and field conference in America.”

Tucker enjoyed a prolific collegiate career at Florida from 1994-99. A four-year letterman, he was a four-time SEC Champion and six-time All-American. As a sprinter, Tucker’s primary event was the 400-meter hurdles, where he was the SEC Champion in 1998 with a personal-best time of 49.82, which ranks as the fifth-fastest time in Gator school history. Tucker also ran on three conference championship teams and four All-America mile relay teams for UF. The twice-named ALL-SEC Academic honoree also competed in the 55-meter hurdles, the 400-meter dash, and served as captain of the Gators from 1997-99.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Tucker earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Florida in 1998 and added a master’s degree in education in 2000.