Coach Leroy Burrell

Leroy Burrell is a celebrated American track and field icon, Olympic gold medalist, and accomplished collegiate coach. Born on February 21, 1967, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Burrell attended Penn Wood High School before competing for the University of Houston, where he established himself as one of the elite sprinters and long jumpers in collegiate history. Beyond his collegiate achievements, Burrell reached the pinnacle of international track and field by twice breaking the world record in the 100-meter sprint, setting a high-water mark of 9.85 seconds in 1994, and earning an Olympic gold medal as part of the U.S. 4x100-meter relay team at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Following his competitive career, Burrell transitioned into coaching, taking over as head coach at his alma mater, the University of Houston, in 1998 following the retirement of his mentor, Tom Tellez. Burrell spent 23 highly successful seasons leading the Houston Cougars track and field program, mentoring numerous NCAA individual champions and Olympians. He later served as the head coach at Auburn University beginning in June 2022 before accepting the head coaching position for the Texas A&M track and field program in June 2026. Off the track, Burrell is married to fellow Olympic gold medalist Michelle Finn-Burrell, and they raised three children, including the late sprinters Cameron and Joshua Burrell.