University of Tennessee Athletics
Head Coach and Director of Track & Field Duane Ross Announces Staff
July 20, 2022 | Track & Field
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Head coach and Director of Track & Field Duane Ross has completed his coaching staff, announcing his hires on Wednesday.
His appointments include:
Tempest Love
Love joins the Tennessee staff after spending the past 10 seasons with Ross at North Carolina A&T. Under Love, the Aggies won 12 long jump conference titles, 10 triple jump conference titles and five high jump titles. The Aggies also had 54 first-team, second-team and third-team all-conference selections under her leadership.
On eight occasions, the Aggies had student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round in the triple jump. It happened seven times in the high jump and five times in the long jump. Long jumper Brandon Hicklin earned two first-team outdoor All-American honors thanks to Love's guidance, finishing fourth nationally in 2021. Hicklin also came away with two second-team All-America honors as an indoor long jumper.
With the help of A&T jump events, the Aggies swept all four MEAC track and field championships in 2017 and 2019. The Aggies won 16 conference championships during Love's tenure.
Brian Blutreich
A two-time USTFCCCA National Assistant Coach of the Year, Blutreich comes to Rocky Top after spending the past six seasons at Arizona State. During his time in the desert, Blutreich brought 15 NCAA throwing titles and 13 Pac-12 titles back to Tempe. He helped two athletes across three seasons become finalists for The Bowerman - awarded to the most outstanding track & field male and female in the country. His throwers also earned All-America honors 36 times.
During the pandemic-adjusted 2020-21 indoor and outdoor seasons, Blutreich's throwers collected four national titles, 10 All-America honors, three Pac-12 titles and nine all-time program top-10 results – including a trio of program records from three-time national champion Turner Washington, discus champion Jorinde van Klinken and javelin runner-up Alizee Minard.
This past season, the Sun Devils' throwers added three NCAA titles, two Pac-12 crowns and earned nine All-America nods. At the 2022 Outdoor NCAA Championships, purely off the efforts of Blutreich's throwers, ASU's women finished eighth overall.
Ron Garner
Another addition from Ross' staff at North Carolina A&T, Garner joins the program after spending four seasons in Greensboro. The Aggies' success in sprints helped Garner win two USTFCCCA honors. In 2021, USTFCCCA named him outdoor men's assistant coach of the year in the south region, and the following indoor season, he was again named the south region men's assistant coach of the year.
Garner assisted the Aggies in winning nine individual national championships – all in sprinting events. The Aggies also won nine team conference championships during Garner's tenure. In 2021, A&T was the only school in the nation to have their men's and women's programs finish in the top-5 nationally during the outdoor season. In addition, the Aggie men's outdoor program finished in the top-15 in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
A&T won an impressive 64 conference event championships – indoor and outdoor combined – in sprinting events during his time on the staff. The Aggies earned 32 first-team All-America honors and 19 second-team All-America accolades during Garner's tenure.
Mark Hollis
A native of Freeport, Illinois, Mark Hollis has been a resident of Knoxville since 2013. He completed his collegiate career at Olivet Nazarene University in 2007. While there, Hollis was a six-time All-American and a two-time outdoor NAIA National Champion in pole vault.
Following his time at Olivet, Hollis competed professionally from 2007-17 in which time he was a three-time U.S. Champion and competed for Team USA in the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, in 2011. He is also a two-time Millrose Games winner – in 2010 and 2014 – a Pan American Games Bronze Medalist in 2015 as well as a Bronze medal winner at the Continental Cup in 2014. Hollis qualified and competed at three Olympic Trials starting in 2008, finishing fifth in 2012 and fourth in 2016 to be the Olympic Alternate for the Rio games.
In 2013, Hollis moved to Knoxville to train under the tutelage of former Vol and Olympic Gold Medalist Tim Mack. After his retirement from competition, Hollis started coaching privately in Knoxville under his club Full Vertical Vault Club. He has coached numerous Tennessee state champions as well as a group of elite post collegiate athletes.
His appointments include:
- Tempest Love – Associate Head Coach (Jumps)
- Brian Blutreich – Assistant Coach (Throws)
- Ron Garner – Assistant Coach (Sprints & Hurdles)
- Mark Hollis – Assistant Coach (Pole Vault)
Tempest Love
Love joins the Tennessee staff after spending the past 10 seasons with Ross at North Carolina A&T. Under Love, the Aggies won 12 long jump conference titles, 10 triple jump conference titles and five high jump titles. The Aggies also had 54 first-team, second-team and third-team all-conference selections under her leadership.
On eight occasions, the Aggies had student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round in the triple jump. It happened seven times in the high jump and five times in the long jump. Long jumper Brandon Hicklin earned two first-team outdoor All-American honors thanks to Love's guidance, finishing fourth nationally in 2021. Hicklin also came away with two second-team All-America honors as an indoor long jumper.
With the help of A&T jump events, the Aggies swept all four MEAC track and field championships in 2017 and 2019. The Aggies won 16 conference championships during Love's tenure.
Brian Blutreich
A two-time USTFCCCA National Assistant Coach of the Year, Blutreich comes to Rocky Top after spending the past six seasons at Arizona State. During his time in the desert, Blutreich brought 15 NCAA throwing titles and 13 Pac-12 titles back to Tempe. He helped two athletes across three seasons become finalists for The Bowerman - awarded to the most outstanding track & field male and female in the country. His throwers also earned All-America honors 36 times.
During the pandemic-adjusted 2020-21 indoor and outdoor seasons, Blutreich's throwers collected four national titles, 10 All-America honors, three Pac-12 titles and nine all-time program top-10 results – including a trio of program records from three-time national champion Turner Washington, discus champion Jorinde van Klinken and javelin runner-up Alizee Minard.
This past season, the Sun Devils' throwers added three NCAA titles, two Pac-12 crowns and earned nine All-America nods. At the 2022 Outdoor NCAA Championships, purely off the efforts of Blutreich's throwers, ASU's women finished eighth overall.
Ron Garner
Another addition from Ross' staff at North Carolina A&T, Garner joins the program after spending four seasons in Greensboro. The Aggies' success in sprints helped Garner win two USTFCCCA honors. In 2021, USTFCCCA named him outdoor men's assistant coach of the year in the south region, and the following indoor season, he was again named the south region men's assistant coach of the year.
Garner assisted the Aggies in winning nine individual national championships – all in sprinting events. The Aggies also won nine team conference championships during Garner's tenure. In 2021, A&T was the only school in the nation to have their men's and women's programs finish in the top-5 nationally during the outdoor season. In addition, the Aggie men's outdoor program finished in the top-15 in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
A&T won an impressive 64 conference event championships – indoor and outdoor combined – in sprinting events during his time on the staff. The Aggies earned 32 first-team All-America honors and 19 second-team All-America accolades during Garner's tenure.
Mark Hollis
A native of Freeport, Illinois, Mark Hollis has been a resident of Knoxville since 2013. He completed his collegiate career at Olivet Nazarene University in 2007. While there, Hollis was a six-time All-American and a two-time outdoor NAIA National Champion in pole vault.
Following his time at Olivet, Hollis competed professionally from 2007-17 in which time he was a three-time U.S. Champion and competed for Team USA in the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, in 2011. He is also a two-time Millrose Games winner – in 2010 and 2014 – a Pan American Games Bronze Medalist in 2015 as well as a Bronze medal winner at the Continental Cup in 2014. Hollis qualified and competed at three Olympic Trials starting in 2008, finishing fifth in 2012 and fourth in 2016 to be the Olympic Alternate for the Rio games.
In 2013, Hollis moved to Knoxville to train under the tutelage of former Vol and Olympic Gold Medalist Tim Mack. After his retirement from competition, Hollis started coaching privately in Knoxville under his club Full Vertical Vault Club. He has coached numerous Tennessee state champions as well as a group of elite post collegiate athletes.
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