Sun Devils' Track and Field's 2 Huge New Additions

The Arizona State Sun Devil Track and Field team is coming off of a good season! The excitement continues for fans as the coaching staff is adding two new members.

Milton Mallard and Adam Meyer each bring a unique set of skills, viewpoints, and techniques to the team that should help ASU track and field continue their success.

Let us start with Milton Mallard. Mallard has tons and tons of experience in track and field as a coach. Mallard has been on the staff of teams that have competed in the Big 10, Big 12, and SEC conferences. Very similar to new Associate Swim Coach Derek Schmitt, Mallard is someone who connects with players very well.

Current ASU Track and Field Head Coach Dion Miller said that he thought Mallard's best ability was his recruiting skills and being able to land top talents at the various schools he has been at.

Speaking of the schools he's been at, before joining ASU, Mallard was the associate coach for the USC Trojans and the Texas A&M Aggies. He was with the Trojans for only a year, so the bulk of his time as an associate coach has been with the Aggies.

Mallard made a huge impact on the Texas A&M Track and field team. The athletes Mallard helped coach got those accomplishments: 46 NCAA-All Americans, 27 Conference Champions, 7 USATF National Champions, 6 World Champions (including 2 gold), and 9 Olympic medalists.

Now, of course, Mallard was not the only one who helped the players, but he did work a lot with the athletes, so he should get a good amount of credit. What impresses me is how the athletes under Millard excelled in a wide range of events. It demonstrates that he can help coach athletes in developing versatility.

Mallard will join the ASU Sun Devils as an associate coach, marking a significant move for the team. It is exciting that ASU was able to land a coach with Mallard's skill set.

The next coach is Adam Meyer, who will be the assistant coach for the track and field program. Meyer has a different background compared to Mallard, as this will be Meyer's first stint as a coach. Meyer was actually a former athlete at ASU, and one that current head coach Dion Miller coached.

Meyer's background reminds me of ASU wrestling recruiting coach Michael McGee. Both are former ASU athletes who quickly became coaches. Coach Miller described Meyer as a respectable and hard-working person

What I like about both hires is that they bring different viewpoints but share the same goal. Both Millard and Meyer are coaches with a strong connection to their athletes. However, their different backgrounds will help bring different viewpoints and teachings to the team.