Kersee Resigns as Coach of UCLA Women’s Team

Coach Bob Kersee, who helped build UCLA’s women’s track team into one of the nation’s most successful, resigned Monday to devote more time to coaching his wife, Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and gold medalist Gail Devers.

Jeanette Bolden, an Olympic gold-medal winner and former Bruin All-American sprinter, will succeed Kersee as head coach after next month’s NCAA championships. Bolden is in her second season as a Bruin assistant.

Kersee plans to remain at UCLA as a volunteer assistant and said he will continue to coach Bruin sprinters, hurdlers and heptathletes.

“I think developing athletes is where my time should be placed because I’m a hands-on coach,” Kersee said. “Realistically, UCLA will probably have a better coach in me as a volunteer coach on the field than they do in me as a head coach. I can bypass the office and go straight to the track.”

Bolden, a five-time All-American, helped the Bruins win the 1982 national championship by finishing second in the 100 and running a leg on the 400-meter relay team that finished third. She won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics by running on the U.S. 400-meter relay team and finished fourth in the 100.

Kersee guided the Bruins to six conference titles in nine seasons, including the 1993 Pacific 10 championship. Kersee, who compiled a dual meet record of 44-7-1, also led UCLA to seven top-seven finishes at the NCAA meet, highlighted by three consecutive second-place finishes, from 1988-90.