AUBURN, Ala.—Tim Beach, who has over four decades of coaching experience, has been named assistant coach for the Auburn track and field program, head coach Leroy Burrell announced Friday. Beach spent the previous season as a volunteer coach for the Tigers where he coached the pole vaulters and assisted with the jumps and multi events.
"I'm grateful to Auburn University and Coach Burrell for having the opportunity to join this world-class coaching staff," Beach said. "I look forward to continuing our efforts to create and maintain a culture of high achievement for our student-athletes."
This past season Beach coached five athletes to a combined nine new personal bests indoors and outdoors in the pole vault, while freshman Alyssa Quinones-Mixon broke both the women's indoor and outdoor freshman school records in the event. Quinones-Mixon most recently won a bronze medal competing for Puerto Rico at the Pan American U20 Championships.
"I'm really excited to bring Tim Beach as our full-time pole vault coach," Burrell said. "Tim did a wonderful job last year leading our vault group to several personal best performances, preliminary round qualifying and success in the international level. Tim is highly qualified with years of experience in the jumps and multis and also served as a back up to coach Newman in the jumps and combined events last year."
Prior to Auburn, Beach spent 10 seasons at Sacred Heart as an assistant for the men's and women's track and field program. At Sacred Heart, Beach coached the pole vault, high jump and multi events.
"When our administration invested additional resources allowing us to expand the paid staff the first person, I wanted to add was Coach Beach. He exemplifies the Auburn Spirit through and through," Burrell said. "He made a tremendous sacrifice moving his family to Auburn in a volunteer role. Tim exhibited a level of commitment to the students-athletes and to Auburn that was second to none. Given that, I felt it was important Tim be the first person added to the track and field staff. I am looking forward to helping Tim settle into a larger role in recruiting, and the everyday operation of the program and continuing lead AU Track and Field in building a championship culture here on The Plains.
From 2002-09, Beach served as the assistant track and field coach for the University at Buffalo in New York State. As a Bull, Beach aided student-athletes in the horizontal jump and pole vault. He also worked in the Ivy League at Columbia University as the Lions assistant track and field coach from 2000-02.
Before being a New York resident, Beach worked in and around the Greater Philadelphia area. He served as the assistant track and field coach at the University of Pennsylvania from 1998-00 and was a teacher and coach for 16 years at the Friends' Central School in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.
Despite his extensive experience as a track and field coach, Beach's first coaching job was at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania as the soccer head coach for four years (1979-83).
A native of West Stephentown, New York, Beach graduated from The King's College in New York City. He is certified by the USA Track and Field for USATF Level II Sprints/Hurdles Jumps Throws Combined Events.