Craig Hilliard (born 28 January 1957 in Melbourne)[1] is a leading Australian athletics coach and was appointed Head Coach of the Australian Athletics Team in 2015.[2]
Athletics career
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Hilliard is a former 110m and 400m hurdler. At the 1973-74 Australian Junior Championships, he finished second in the Men's 400m hurdles.[3] Junior T & F In September 2015, Hilliard still held nine Old Scotch athletics records, including under 17, under 18, under 19, under 20 and open 110m hurdles, all set in the mid-1970s.[4] He retired from competitive athletics in 1982 after his fourth knee operation and turned to coaching.[5]
Coaching career
editAfter leaving Scotch College, Hilliard completed a Bachelor of Applied Science - Physical Education at Phillip Institute of Technology and Graduate Diploma of Sports Science at Rusden State College.[6]
Prior to being appointed an athletics coach with the Australian Institute of Sport in 1982, Hillard was a physical education teacher at Ivanhoe Grammar School.[5][7] Whilst at the AIS (1982-2013), he personally coached athletes that had won 11 gold, 12 silver and two bronze at open major championships including the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games, the World Championships, World Indoors and the World Race Walking Cup.[8] Notable athletes coached by Hilliard at the AIS include:[9][5]
- long jumpers - Jai Taurima, Nicole Boegman, Robbie Crowther
- race walkers - Sue Cook, Kerry Saxby-Junna, David Smith, Simon Baker Nathan Deakes, Nick A'Hern, Luke Adams
- hurdlers - Jana Pittman, Jane Flemming (also heptathlon) and Rohan Robinson.[9]
In 2013, he was appointed Athletics Australia Senior Athletics Coach and Mentor after the AIS Athletics Program ceased operation as a result of the AIS Winning Edge Strategy.[2] In April 2015, he was appointed Head Coach of the Australian Athletics Team.[8]
At the time of his appointment as Head Coach of the Australian Athletics Team in April 2015, he was a coach on twenty-four Australian teams, including six Olympic Games, seven Commonwealth Games and ten IAAF World Championships.[2] Team Coach on a further twenty-three Australian teams, including six Olympic Games, seven Commonwealth Games and ten IAAF World Championships.National coaching appointments include:[5]
- Summer Olympic Games - 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016 (Head Coach)
- World Athletics Championships - 1987 (Team Coach), 1991 (Team Coach), 1993 (Head Coach), 1995 (team Coach), 1997 (Head Coach), 1999 (Team Coach), 2001 (Team Coach), 2003 (Team Coach), 2005 (Team Coach), 2007 (team Coach), 2009 (Team Coach), 2011 (Team Coach), 2013 (Team Coach), 2015 (Head Coach), 2017 (Head Coach)
- World Athletics Indoor Championships - 1989, 1991 (Head Coach)
- Commonwealth Games - 1994 (Head Coach), 1998 (Coach), 2002 (Coach), 2006 (Jumps Coach), 2010 (Coaching Coordinator and Walks), 2014
- Summer Universiade - 1985 (Head Coach), 1989 (Head Coach), 2003 (Head Coach)
Recognition
edit- 1990 - Coach of the Year at Australian Sports Awards
- 1994 - Athletics Australia Coach of The Year[2]
- 2000 - Henri Schubert Award
- 2002 - Athletics Australia Coach of The Year[2]
- 2007 - Athletics Australia Coach of The Year[2]
- 2007 - Australian Institute of Sport Coach of the Year
- 2012 - Honorary Life Member Athletics Australia[10]
References
edit- ^ Australian Team Handbook : 1996 Olympic Games. Sydney: Australian Olympic Committee. 1996.
- ^ a b c d e f "Head Coach". athletics.com.au. Athletics Australia. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- ^ "Craig Hilliard". athhistory.sportstg.com. Australia Athletics Historical Results. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- ^ "What they're doing now". scotch.vic.edu.au. Scotch College. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Craig Hilliard". Modern Athlete and Coach. 45 (2): 41–45. April 2007.
- ^ Gregg, Paul (October–December 1989). "Interview with Craig Hilliard". Sports Coach. 13 (1): 14–17.
- ^ "Athletics at the Australian Institute of Sport". Australian Web Archive. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 19 January 2000. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- ^ a b Gleeson, Michael (20 April 2015). "Craig Hilliard appointed Athletics Athtics head coach". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Track and Field at the Australian Institute of Sport 2009". Australian Web Archive. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- ^ "Awards". athhistory.sportstg.com. Australia Athletics Historical Results. Archived from the original on 17 February 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2017.