Oct. 3, 2006

DAVIS, Calif. -- - Erv Hunt, who as head coach of the U.S. Olympic men's track and field team in 1996 helped guide the Americans to 10 gold medals, has been named an assistant coach with the UC Davis track and field program and will join current UC Davis Director of Track and Field Deanne Vochatzer to provide the Aggies both the U.S. men's and women's head coaches from the Atlanta Games.

Hunt, inducted last year into the United States Track & Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame, spent 31 years coaching the track and field and cross country programs at Cal before subsequently retiring from the university in 2005. He will assist in all areas of the UC Davis program, focusing on sprints and hurdles while taking charge of the Aggies' 4x100 relay teams.

"If it wasn't for Dee and Jon, I wouldn't event consider returning to coaching at any level," said Hunt. "They are both very dear friends and I am very excited to be able to assist them in any way that I can.

"The UC Davis program has excellent student-athletes with a real desire to succeed both on and off the field at the highest level," he said. "After being a part of a wonderful UC program in Berkeley for 33 years, I consider it a privilege to be a small part of such a classy and extremely highly respected program such as UC Davis."

The UC Davis staff now features an impressive resume of international experience. Hunt and Vochatzer were the respective men's and women's track and field coaches for the 1996 Olympic Games, while Aggie coach Jon Vochatzer was a member of the U.S. coaching staff at the 1999 IAAFF World Outdoor Championships in Seville, Spain.

"I think UC Davis has hit a big-time home run in coaxing Coach Hunt out of retirement," said Deanne Vochatzer. "We worked hard side by side in Atlanta and we traveled internationally the three years prior to that. I watched him put together the current world record men's 4x100 relay team.

"His expertise, his class and the athletes he's worked with will serve UC Davis phenomenally well."

Hunt has enjoyed an impressive career, highlighted by his service at Cal where he began in 1972. He is the most successful coach in the history of the Bears' program, posting a .773 winning percentage with the men's program while winning nearly 250 dual meets. His women's teams were nearly equally as successful, winning .698 of the time with 84 dual meet victories. Along the way he coached the Cal men to 10 top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships, including three in the top 10.

Hunt also coached 50 conference champions and 87 All-Americans, including five NCAA champions. Besides his international experience with the 1996 Olympics where he led the American men to 16 total medals, Hunt served was the U.S. head coach for the 1995 World University Games in Japan, and was an assistant coach on staffs at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, the 1993 World Championships in Germany and the 1986 Freedom Games in Moscow.

Hunt is a member of the Bulldog Hall of Fame at Fresno State, having been inducted in 1997 for an outstanding college football career there that eventually led to him being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1970. He was inducted into the city of Fresno's Hall of Fame in 2000.

Hunt and his wife, Jacquelyne, have two grown children.