Michigan's Ron Warhurst announces men's coaching change

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan men's track and field head coach Ron Warhurst announced he will be moving associate head coach Fred LaPlante into the head coaching position for men's track and field while Warhurst himself will move into the associate role. Warhurst will remain the head coach of the men's cross country team, where he is serving his 35th season.

"This is a great time for me to make this move since we just won the Big Ten Outdoor Championship," said Warhurst. "I have been at Michigan for almost 35 years and I know my strengths are in the distance events and I know we have to look towards the future to keep the continuity of our growth and Fred is the man who can do just that."

Warhurst's team won the 2008 Big Ten outdoor championship -- U-M's first since 1983. Last year, he was also named both cross country and track and field Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year as well as the Big Ten Track and Field Coach of the Year.

LaPlante, who has been a head coach at four schools -- San Diego State University (women, 1979-83), the University of Southern California (women's 1983-88), Lehigh University (men/women, 1992-96) and the University of Michigan (current) – has been the Wolverines' associate head coach since 1996.

"Ron and I have talked on numerous occasions about this adjustment," said LaPlante. "When he brought up the idea again this year, I said 'let's do it'."

LaPlante, the 2008 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Assistant Coach of the Year, oversaw the Wolverine sprinters. Last year, his group won six Big Ten sprint titles and earned All-America in the 60-meter (junior Adam Harris) and the 4x400 relay (junior Andre Barnes, senior co-captain Andrew Wechter, senior/junior Dan Harmsen and fifth-year senior Stann Waithe).

The coaching move will take place immediately.