Georgia Track and Field : Wayne Norton Out, Petros Kyprianou In As Head Coach
Long time Georgia Track and Field Coach Wayne Norton is Out. His Departure Is a Surprise. His Successor Is Not.
Working at sprinters speed, Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity introduced new Track and Field Head Coach Petros Kyprianou just two days after announcing the release of now former head coach Wayne Norton.
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Named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Indoor National Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year back-to-back in 2014-15, Kyprianou’s hiring is not a surprise. As an assistant track coach at Georgia, Kyprianou worked with multi-event athletes and jumpers. He guided his crew to a school record five NCAA individual titles, a World Junior Championships record and title, six SEC championships and the 100-meter hurdle crown at the USATF Junior Championships.
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In addition to his national and league champions, Kyprianou boasted 10 NCAA First Team All-America certificates that led to 74.5 combined points scored at the NCAA indoor and outdoor meets and 95 points at the SEC Championships. In addition, his group accounted for 93 NCAA combined points in 2015 and 133.5 SEC combined points, set two American Junior Records, a collegiate/NCAA Championships record in the pentathlon and six SEC Championships Records, among other highlights throughout the season.
“I want to thank President Morehead, Greg McGarity and Carla Williams, our Deputy Director of Athletics, for this incredible opportunity to lead this program,” said Kyprianou to Georgidogs.com. “I am very grateful for the opportunity Coach (Wayne) Norton has given me to be part of this family back in 2008.”
While the hiring of Kyprianou was not a surprise, the release of Coach Norton was shocking. Both the men’s and women’s track squads were successful under Norton’s leadership, the women claiming top five finishes in the NCAA Championships the last two years.
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The possibility of scandal or rule violations leading to Norton’s release is remote. Chip Towers of the AJC.com said, “Sources close to the program have assured that there were no scandals or violations of rules that precipitated Monday’s action.”
“The release stands on its own,” McGarity told Towers. “Wayne always represented UGA in a first-class manner. I have great respect for the way he ran our program.”
Norton served in the Georgia Track and Field program as an assistant or Head Coach for 25 years. Norton said he would one day move on from track into a ministry mission. However, his immediate plans are not known.
As the 38 year old Kyprianou, a native of Cyprus, steps into the head coach’s role, he will continue to lead the multi-event and jumping crew.
“We’ve had a really good formula with staggered workout times.” Kyprianou told John Frierson of Georgiadogs.com. “What I’d like to do is spend more time walking around the track when I’m not busy with my group or even when my group is warming up. I can go around and say a few good words to the sprinters or throwers or distance runners.”