CCU names Sandy Fowler director of Track & Field
Sandy Fowler, a former USA national champion and Team USA coach, was named the Coastal Carolina University director of track and field for both the men’s and women’s programs, Chanticleer director of athletics Matt Hogue has announced.
“We are extremely pleased to attract and hire an individual with the seasoned and successful credentials possessed by Coach Fowler,” Hogue said. “We look forward to watching her raise the level of our program and compete for championships for many seasons to come and welcome her into the Chanticleer family.”
Fowler, a nine-time All-American and USA national champion, spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach for the University of Michigan women’s track and field program. As a former world-class thrower, Fowler oversaw all throwing events for the Wolverines.
“I am extremely excited to become the director of track & field for Coastal Carolina,” Fowler said. “It is truly an honor for me to have this opportunity and the future it affords the men’s and women’s programs. It was difficult to leave such an established power program as the University of Michigan, and I will be forever thankful for the support I received during my time in Ann Arbor.
“I am very excited to become a Chanticleer,” Fowler said. “I would like to thank athletics director Matt Hogue and senior women’s administrator Cari Rosiek for their confidence in me to lead the men’s and women’s track & field programs to Sun Belt Conference Championships and NCAA prominence. I know we can continue the tradition of winning and will be a powerhouse program. The academic and athletic traditions at Coastal Carolina are unparalleled. In addition, the resources available put the programs in a position to succeed and keep them moving forward.”
Fowler has helped coach the Wolverines win both the 2016 indoor and outdoor Big Ten Championships while helping eight athletes qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds and guiding three to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
In 2015, Fowler helped the Wolverines to the program's best finish at the NCAA meet since the 2009 season. During the 2014 season, she also coached heptathlete Aaron Howell in her two throwing events as she advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championships and earned second team All-American honors. In her first season at Michigan (2012), she guided sisters Erin and Emily Pendleton to a 1-2 finish, respectively, in the discus at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Emily Pendleton then went on to win the NCAA East Region discus title and garner second team All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. overall, Erin Pendleton made three appearances at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and added honorable mention All-American honors once.
Prior to joining the staff at Michigan, Fowler enjoyed a successful 14-year stint as the head women's track and field coach at the University of Alabama (1998-2011).
In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Fowler has an impressive international coaching resume. Most recently she represented Team USA as an assistant coach at the 2014 Pan-American Sports Festival in Mexico City, Mexico, as well as the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia. She served Team USA as its head coach at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
Fowler began her illustrious career as a champion shot putter at Northeastern University, where she was a nine-time All-American. Her career as a student-athlete peaked when she won the 1982 AIAW (the NCAA's predecessor) National Outdoor title. Fowler remains the record holder in the shot put at Northeastern with a mark of 53-11.
During her collegiate career at Northeastern, Fowler was named an alternate in the shot put on the 1980 United States Olympic team. She competed internationally for the United States at the 1981 World University Games in Romania and at the 1981 Pan Pacific Games in New Zealand.
The Brookline, Mass., native earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Northeastern in 1983.
