Elvis Forde was named the Illinois State head mens and womens track and field/cross country coach Monday, by director of athletics Perk Weisenburger.
Forde previously served as the head mens and womens cross country coach and the head womens track and field coach at Austin Peay State for the last 13 years. With the Governors, Forde coached the 2002 Ohio Valley Conference Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Female Athletes of the Year. In 2001, Forde was named the OVC Indoor Coach of the Year. During his tenure, he has coached four Verizon Academic All-Americans.
Elvis is a quality coach with a tremendous personality and work ethic, Weisenburger said. He has the ability of getting the best from his student-athletes athletically as well as academically and he is a world class athlete who brings a wealth of head coaching experience to our programs. His achievements at Austin Peay are very noteworthy given the very limited resources he had to work with. Elvis Forde is a solid fit for our department and I feel excited and extremely confident that his recruiting and developmental abilities will bring all six of our programs back to the championship caliber level that we have grown to expect at Illinois State. Elvis knows what our expectations are and he is ready to get going. We welcome Elvis and his family to Illinois State and Bloomington-Normal.
Forde is looking forward to working with the larger Illinois State program.
This is an exciting opportunity for me, Forde said. Moving from a smaller program to one with so much history and resources is something that I have prepared myself for. Im well aware of the magnitude of the Illinois State track and field tradition, but like Illinois States winning tradition Im also a winner. Im looking forward to the challenge of bringing this program back to its level of prominence and just being a part of the Illinois State athletics department.
Forde was a six-time NCAA All-American, two-time National Amateur champion and member of the 1984 and 1988 Barbados Olympic teams. At Murray State, Forde was a two-time All-American, before transferring to Southern Illinois.
At SIU, Forde claimed four All-American honors. In 1984, he competed on the 4x400-meter relay team which set the NCAA record in both indoor (3:04.60) and outdoor (3:00.87) competition. As a senior, Forde received the Leland P. Lingle Award which recognized SIUs outstanding male student-athlete. In 1995, he was inducted into the SIU Athletics Hall of Fame.
After completing his collegiate career in 1984, Forde earned a spot on the national team of his native country, Barbados, and competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympiad. In Los Angeles, Forde qualified for the semifinals at 400-meters and was a member of the 4x400-meter relay team, which qualified for the finals and finished sixth. In both 1986 and 1987, Forde won the National Indoor Championships at 600-yards. He still ranks in the all-time top five at that distance. In 1988, Forde again competed in the Olympics for Barbados.
In addition to coaching, Forde is still competing at a world-class level. In February of 2000, Forde set the masters (40-years-old and older) world record, twice, in the indoor 400-meters. In Carbondale, Forde clocked a 400-meter time of 49.35 seconds. He followed that performance up the next weekend by breaking his own record with a time of 49.14 seconds.
In Clarksville, Tenn., Forde has been active with both the Special Olympics and Senior Games. He and his wife, Beverly, have two children, Kevin and Chante.
What others say about Elvis Forde
John Coughlan, former Illinois State head cross country/track and field coach
Im exceptionally elated for Illinois State and Elvis Forde. I think Elvis will provide tremendous direction for the Illinois State program. The ISU athletics department will be pleased with his level of commitment and the progress that he will make with the program. Elvis has a unique blend of being an All-American athlete, a proven coach and a fine person.
Tom Akers, Eastern Illinois head cross country/track and field coach
Elvis has done a great job with the womens track and field team at Austin Peay. He elevated the program to compete at a high level despite limited funding. We are sorry to see him leave the conference because he is such a highly respected coach in our league.
Joey Haines, Southeast Missouri State head cross country/track and field coach
Elvis is a class act. We are definitely going to miss him in the conference. Elvis was leader among the coaches in our league. He has the ability to differentiate between what is best for his program and what is best for the sport. He also has a rare combination of being an outstanding coach and a quality person. Illinois State is getting a good man.
Lew Hartzog, former Southern Illinois head cross country/track and field coach
I cant say enough nice things about Elvis. He was the most dependable and intelligent student-athlete that I coached in all my years at Southern Illinois. Illinois State has found itself a jewel in Elvis Forde.
Chandra Cheeseborough, Tennessee State head cross country/track and field coach
Elvis is a great coach and an even better person. He brought great competition to the conference. I have the utmost respect for Elvis. This is a great hire for Illinois State.
Dean Hayes, Middle Tennessee State head cross country/track and field coach
Elvis will give Illinois State every effort. He is a heck of a competitor and with the resources that are available at Illinois State, the sky is the limit for Elvis and that program.
