Pierce College Drops Track and Field Program After Losing Coach

The track and field program at Pierce College has been dropped because of reshuffling within the physical education department, Athletic Director Marian McWilliams said Thursday.

Jack Boyd, who last month accepted the track and field coaching position, will coach the men’s golf team instead. Pierce was not able to find another track coach to replace Boyd in time for the season that begins Feb. 12, McWilliams said.

Boyd switched jobs when Bob O’Connor, who was scheduled to coach the men’s golf team, decided to return to full-time teaching in the health education department, McWilliams said.

Boyd, who would have had little over a month to recruit a track team for the 1987 season, inherits O’Connor’s golf team.

McWilliams said she was limited in her search for a coach by the faculty union contract, which allows only full-time instructors to coach teams following layoffs in the district last June.

“The contract make it very difficult to hire coaches in a short time,” McWilliams said.