Former Tennessee men’s track & field/cross country head coach Chuck Rohe passed away Tuesday morning in Ocoee, Florida. He was 92 years old.
Rohe stood at the helm of the Tennessee track & field program from 1962-71 and led the Volunteers to a dominant stretch of 21 consecutive SEC titles across cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field. His Tennessee squads sported an impressive 130-18-2 (.873) dual record over nine seasons and finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships on seven occasions. In 1967, Rohe was named the United States Track & Field Coach of the Year.
Rohe also was the architect of the championship-level nexus between Tennessee’s track and football programs, helping the Vols succeed in both sports by enabling student-athletes (17 in total) to participate in each. He served as the director of football recruiting under head coach Doug Dickey and mentored a pair of football All-Americans in Richmond Flowers and Chip Kell, in addition to Dick Evey. Three football athletes who also competed on Rohe’s track & field teams earned All-America acclaim in their respective events.
Rohe has been inducted into several halls of fame, most recently the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame in April 2023. He was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2019, the Furman Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Hall of Fame in 2009, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2003, the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Southern Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
“Our program is saddened to learn of Chuck Rohe’s passing, and we are praying for his family during this difficult time,” Tennessee director of track & field Duane Ross said. “I had the pleasure of meeting Coach Rohe this past spring at his Hall of Fame celebration. He created a dynasty during his time in Knoxville and we spoke about rebuilding the program to the success they had in the past. I promised him I would, and he said he was willing to do anything he could to help. Coach Rohe will be greatly missed.”
Rohe’s legacy included an effort to build an Olympic-quality track & field facility in the heart of campus with the construction of Tom Black Track in the mid-1960s. Tennessee’s home venue opened in 1967 and has served as the host site of numerous collegiate championship events in addition to the 1994 USA Track & Field Championships.
He was also instrumental in the integration of Tennessee’s athletics programs and championed the adoption of an inclusive set of values. In 1968, Rohe signed James Craig and Audry Hardy — the first Black track & field athletes in UT history. Craig was a five-time Southeastern Conference champion, while Hardy was a two-time team captain and became UT’s first Black All-American in any sport after a second-place finish in the 600-yard run at the 1969 NCAA Indoor Championships in Detroit, Michigan.
In 2016, a group of Rohe’s former Tennessee athletes created the Chuck Rohe Leadership Award that is now presented annually at the program’s home track meet. The award is designated for the student-athlete who consistently displays outstanding leadership with integrity, enthusiasm, diligence, academic excellence and a get-it-done attitude.
“We as a program want to extend our deepest sympathies to Coach Rohe’s family and friends and want them to know they are in our prayers during this difficult time,” Tennessee director of cross country/distance Sean Carlson said. “Coach Rohe leaves a lasting legacy in Knoxville and around the track & field community. We strive every day to return Tennessee track & field and cross country to the great heights he took the program to during his tenure on Rocky Top. All of us will greatly miss Coach Rohe.”
Born Aug. 9, 1931, in suburban Chicago, Rohe began his historic journey as a student-athlete at the University of Southern Mississippi where he played football and ran track. His storied coaching career began as the head coach at Hattiesburg (Miss.) High School in 1955 and 1956.
He came to Furman University in 1957 as an assistant football coach and the head coach of track & field. One of his most treasured career accomplishments was bringing Furman its first Southern Conference Championship in any sport, winning the 1961 SoCon Indoor Championship.
Following his nine-year tenure in Knoxville, Rohe was an athletic administrator at Virginia Tech before spending 20 years as the Executive Director of Florida Citrus Sports, where he led the Citrus Bowl to major status.
Among his many accomplishments was creating a tie-in between the Big 10 and SEC, the expansion of Citrus Bowl Stadium to 70,000 seats, bringing the Florida Classic to Orlando and bringing a second college football bowl game to Florida Citrus Sports. Rohe also brought NFL exhibition games, regular season neutral field college football games and Olympic Soccer to the Citrus Bowl Stadium.
Rohe lived his later years in Orlando, Florida, and had made numerous trips to Knoxville over the past decade. His last visit to Rocky Top was in April 2023, when he was inducted into the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame.
Funeral arrangements for Coach Rohe are pending and will be shared at a later date.
Source: UT Sports
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