Ken Harnden Position: Men's Sprints & Relays, Hurdles Alma Mater: University of North Carolina ' 95

2005 and '07 NCAA National Assistant Coach of the Year (Sprints)

2005 and '07 NCAA East Region Assistant Coach of the Year (Sprits)

How many coaches can say they had a pair of sprinters in the finals of the 200m dash at the 2008 Olympics? Florida State assistant coach Ken Harnden is the only one. Going into his 10^th season overall and fifth as an assistant the former Olympian's sprinters have been the cornerstone of the Seminoles' three-straight National Championships.

Harnden was instrumental in the success of Walter Dix throughout his career at Florida State and this summer Dix won the Olympic bronze medal in the 100m and 200m dashes. In the 200m, former Seminole Brian Dzingai of Zimbabwe placed fourth. During the second round of the 200m Dzingai had the fastest time of any runner. In addition, Ricardo Chambers represented Jamaica in the 400m.

One of the best 400m hurdlers in the world during his career, Harnden's coaching career thus far is best known for being the driving force behind Florida State's three-straight national champions. FSU's sprinters have accounted for at least 40 percent of the team's points during the three national championships and a total of 57 percent of the points the last three years.

All told, Hardnen had six athletes competing at Olympic Trials last summer. Joining Dix at the US Trials was junior Charles Clark in the 200m, former All-American Michael Ray Gavin in the 200m and 2008 NCAA Indoor hurdle champ Drew Brunson in the 110m hurdles. Clark and Brunson both advanced to the finals of their events.

Harnden's work has not gone unnoticed at the regional and national levels. Two years ago he earned his second NCAA Division I National Assistant Coach of the Year for the sprint group after first collecting the award in 2005. In addition he picked up the same honor in the East Region.

During Florida State's three-year run of dominance in the sprints, the Seminoles have placed 13 runners in the finals of the 100, 200 and 400m races, which is just as many as the next two closest schools combined. After a national championship and eight All-Americans last season, Harnden's group has produced 10 national championship and 36 All-Americans.

Dix may go down as the greatest collegiate sprinter of all time. He finished his career with eight NCAA Championships and 18 All-American honors. Last year he won four NCAA titles to up his tally to seven on his way to NCAA Division I Track Athlete of the Year and ACC Male Athlete of the Year. His victories in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay made him the first sprinter since John Carols in 1969 to accomplish the feat. In addition, he shattered the NCAA 200m outdoor record at the East Regional with a mark of 19.69 and qualified for the World Championships.

Even without Dix on the squad this year, the sprint group appears to be the best in the country once again. Six-time All-American Charles Clark is back for his junior season while freshmen Brandon Byram and Pablo Naverette were part of the indoor All-America 4x400m relay and competed at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Newcomers Maurice Mitchell and Brandon O'Conner have the ability to step in right away and score points at the NCAA Championships.

Under Harnden's tutelage, Dzingai broke the Zimbabwe national record in the 200m and met the Olympic `A' standard to secure his trip to Athens to represent his native country. He holds the distinction of being Harnden's first All-American after taking fifth at the 2004 Championships. The 2007 Indoor and Outdoor NCAA champion in the 400m, Chambers turned professional after the 2007 season after breaking the school record set by Olympic gold medalist Walter McCoy. Both Dzingai and Chambers made it to the semifinals of the 2007 World Championship in Osaka, Japan.

Harnden was a two-time Olympian for his native country of Zimbabwe in 1996 and 2000, a three-time participant and two-time finalist at the World Championships. He also garnered a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in the 400m hurdles in 1998.

A two-year letterwinner at the University of North Carolina, where he won an NCAA Championship in the 400m hurdles and was a member of the 4x400m relay team that won the NCAA title in 1995. He still holds the Tar Heel 400m hurdle record as well as the indoor 4x400m record.

In addition to his responsibilities with the men's sprinters, hurdlers and relay teams, Harnden assists with recruiting and home meet management at Mike Long Track.