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  Randy Gillon
Randy Gillon

Player Profile
Position:
Assistant Coach - Sprints/Hurdles

Experience:
Third Season

Randy Gillon by the Numbers:

  • 11 NCAA Regional Qualifiers
  • 3 School Records

    Randy Gillon enters his third season with Michigan State, overseeing the sprinters and hurdlers. Under Gillon's watch, Michigan State has seen great progress in the sprints and hurdles.

    In 2008, Gillon coached senior Jeremy Orr to a second place finish in the 400m and third place finish in the 200m at the Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships. Orr also broke his own Spartan record of 46.79 in the 400m running a nationally ranked time of 46.73 at the Iowa State Classic. During the outdoor season, Gillon qualified four athletes in three events; the women's 4 X 100m relay, 100m hurdles and 100m into the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships. At the championships, the Spartan sprinters and hurdlers, under Coach Gillon's leadership, displayed steady growth and improvement. Senior Jackie Walton ran her 2nd best time of 13.48 in the 100m hurdles finishing 15th and freshman Erica Mann ran a team and personal best time of 11.57 in the 100m, finishing 12th in the region. At the 2008 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships Walton etched her name into Spartan history running a time of 13.46 erasing the 23 year-old record previously held by Joanne Childress (13.66).

    In Gillon's first year, the Spartan sprinters and hurdlers delivered some of the Big Ten's top times along with school record breaking performances. Jeremy Orr finished second in both the 200m and 400m at the Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships. Earlier that season Michigan State saw Orr break the 24 year old 400m record of 47.05 held by Spartan great Eliot Tabron, replacing it with a time of 46.79. Orr also took down his own record in the 60m, sprinting to a time of 6.71. At the Notre Dame Invitational John Childress sped to a time of 7.94 in the 60m hurdle, etching his name into the Spartan record books and eclipsing the record of 7.98 held by E.J. Martin. Additionally, Gillon qualified five athletes in four events; the women's 4X100m relay and 100m hurdles, and the men's 110m hurdles, into the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships.

    Last year, Gillon coached former Big Ten track standout and professional athlete Nicole Whitman to personal best times in the 100m (11.43) and 200m (23.40). His coaching resume also includes two years of experience with the Illinois State University track program, first as a volunteer coach, then as an assistant coach for both the men's and women's programs. Prior to his stint at Illinois State University, Gillon spent one season as a volunteer coach for the women's track team at the University of Illinois. He also served as an undergraduate advisor and tutor for the Illini.

    Gillon is a member of the NSCA, USATF, the Ontario Kinesiologist Association (OKA) and Ontario Track and Field Association (OTFA), with certifications in kinesiology and strength and conditioning.

    Gillon earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology (2000) as well as a master's degree in kinesiology (Biomechanics, 2002) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A three-year letter winner for the Illini, Gillon graduated eighth on Illnois' all-time record chart with a time of 14.15s in the 110m high hurdles.

    Gillon is married to Nicole Whitman. The two were married in September 2008 and they reside in Okemos, MI.