For UO, one coach fits all.

Byline: BOB RODMAN The Register-Guard

"Nobody likes change," retiring Oregon women's track and field coach Tom Heinonen said, "but it is time ... and it clearly is the right thing to do."

On Tuesday, a new chapter was written to the storied UO programs that have operated so successfully at that shrine known as Hayward Field.

The men's and women's track programs, which combined have won six NCAA championships and 17 conference titles, will merge under one director following the conclusion of this spring's outdoor season. So will the Duck men's and women's cross country teams, which have combined to win six NCAA championships and 30 conference titles.

Martin Smith, head coach of the Oregon men's track and field and cross country programs, will take the women's programs under his wing when he becomes director of men's and women's track and field and cross country with Heinonen's retirement this summer.

"My challenge was to either hire another women's coach or merge the programs," said Bill Moos, the UO athletic director. "I chose the latter. I know that track and field and cross country are important to this community.

"These are the sports that the University of Oregon hung its hat on for years and years."

Of the nine track and field programs in the Pac-10 Conference, eight - including Oregon - have a joint supervisor for the men's and women's programs. UCLA is the only program that has retained head coaches for the men and women.

"We decided to do what the majority of the Pac-10 programs have done," Moos said, "and merge under one director."

Smith, 51, embarks on his fifth season as the men's track coach this spring. In his four seasons, Smith has led the Ducks to two ninth-place NCAA track finishes - outdoors in 2001 and indoors in 2002 - and two top-five finishes in their three NCAA cross country meets.

"In today's collegiate track and field environment, a move like this has many advantages, especially in a community like Eugene where the sport has such a central place in the community and is loved so much," said Smith, who coached the Virginia women's cross country teams to NCAA championships in 1981 and 1982.

The current annual combined men's and women's budget for track and field at Oregon is $1.7 million. That amount, Moos said, is likely to remain about the same under a merged program.

"This (merger) was not a budgetary decision," he said. "We believe it is important to be successful and to pursue championships. We will make sure the program is funded well."

The coaching responsibilities, however, are likely to change. Six full-time assistant coaching positions are allowed by NCAA rules for a combined program. Four volunteer assistant coaches also are permitted.

The plan, Moos said, is to hire a person to coach the women's cross country team and double as the coach for the distance runners on the women's track team. Two other assistants are also going to be hired. "We've discussed people coaching both genders," he said.

Oregon men's assistant coaches Bill Lawson (jumps, throws and decathlon) and Steve Silvey (sprints, hurdles, relays and middle distances) remain as full-time staff members. But the two full-time assistant coaches on the UO women's track team - Sally Harmon (throws) and Mark Stream (jumps, sprints, hurdles and heptathlon) - have their jobs only until June 30.

The three coaching positions on the UO women's track and field staff currently held by Heinonen, Harmon and Stream will be opened. Harmon, starting her 18th season with the Ducks, and Stream, approaching his 26th year on the UO staff, have been asked to apply, but a national search is expected.

"Those three positions will be made available for new hiring and we (Harmon and Stream) have been encouraged to put our names in the hat," Harmon said.

"We've looked at models as to how to best utilize the coaching staff, how to allocate duties and responsibilities. We want the best formula to be successful at the University of Oregon," said Smith, who has coached UO track athletes to 24 all-America honors, two national crowns and 11 Pac-10 titles since 1998. In cross country, Smith has coached one conference champion and nine all-Americans in that time.

Lance Deal, the Olympic silver medalist and American record-holder in the hammer throw, has been secured as a men's program volunteer coach who will help with the shot put, hammer and discus. The other volunteer coach is Mark Vanderville, in his fourth season as the women's pole vault coach.

Recruiting for the women's program was put on hold by UO officials when Heinonen announced last fall that his 28th season would be his last

"You can't recruit someone who the new coach might not want," said Heinonen, who has coached 103 track and field all-Americans and 14 national champions as well as 31 cross country all-Americans. "And an athlete is hard to recruit when she does not know who the coach is going to be."

Recruiting has been a struggle for the UO women's program in recent years, Heinonen said. "As coaches, we have done fine but as recruiters, not so well. The men's coaches have been relentless, and we need to do that."

Smith - by NCAA rules - is currently the only coach permitted to recruit for the Oregon women's program. "I will start building the folders and the strategy for recruiting," he said.

"I think it (the merger) is good," said Heinonen, 57. "It's best for the teams to be on the same page. As long as I've been here, the teams have been on parallel paths but bumping along the way. It was an obvious choice, but it will be different and there will be some uncertainty for the athletes, and everybody."

Said Harmon, a 1981 national javelin champion for Oregon who has coached three national champions, "I think they are making a smart move in combining the available resources. We hope our female athletes will be taken care of."

Those athletes, who were told of the merger decision on Monday night, seemed assured they will.

"I have great faith in coach Smith," said Rachel Kriz, a junior high jumper whose brother Adam is a hammer thrower on the men's team. "He has done wonderful things with the men's program. I'm sure he hopes to do the same with the women's program."

Roslyn Lundeen, a sophomore javelin thrower, said that "getting on board with the men's program will help the women be successful. Track is too big a part of this school. He (Moos) said he would not let the women's program fall by the wayside."

CAPTION(S):

Martin Smith (right) will be Oregon's director of men's and women's track and field and cross country next season.