22. Kansas XC Coaching Legend Van Rose Retiring At End Of Spring Track Season
By Cory Mull, January 10
Stats: 27,233 reads
One of his former runners built his house. Another does his taxes. He goes to the doctor a couple times a year, of course seeing the runner who used to compete for him. Many of his life's treasured possessions are insured by a former athlete.
And so Van Rose counts his blessings every day, he says. There are countless athletes the 71-year-old has coached and parents he's come across and people who have changed his life and his program with Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in Kansas.
He's in his 50th year coaching the boys and girls cross country teams that have won a combined 34 state titles; he also teaches Advanced Placement calculus with NW. He has coached the distance athletes with the the track and field team over much of that time with Michael Cooper, another long-time head coach at the school.
"I've been fortunate," Rose said.