Mike Powell Hired to Permanent Post NOV. 15, 2002– Fullerton, Calif.
Mike Powell, the current world record holder in the long jump and a volunteer
coach at Cal State Fullerton for the past two years, has been hired by
the university as a full-time assistant to Head Coach John Elders.
Powell, 39, will work with the horizontal jumpers, the sprinters and hurdlers
in the position vacated in September when Chris Asher was hired as the
head coach at Cal State Los Angeles.
“I”m really honored to have Mike Powell be a part of our full-time
staff,” said Elders. “Not just because of his athletic achievements,
but because of the type of individual he is and the leadership qualities
he will bring to our program in this position.
“He will be a role model. We all admire his athletic prowess, but
he also is a great teacher.”
Powell is a three-time (1984, 1988 & 1992) U.S. Olympian and two-time
(1988 & 1992) silver medalist in the long jump. He broke Bob Beamon’s
23-year-old long jump record by 2 inches with a leap of 29-feet, 4 1/2
inches at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
A resident of Rancho Cucamonga, Powell has done extensive work as an actor
and corporate spokesperson for such firms as FootLocker, Nike, Bauscch
& Lomb, Fila and TDK. He graduated from Edgewood High School in West
Covina in 1981 and competed at UC Irvine before earning his bachelors
degree at UCLA.
As a volunteer coach, Powell has been instrumental in the development
of the Titan sprint and horizontal jumping events. Brandon Campbell won
the Big West Conference long jump championship in 2001 and was runnerup
in 2002 with teammate Aaron Williams placing fourth. Campbell later placed
16th at the NCAA championships.
Powell returned to athletic competition in 2001 after working out with
and getting encouragement from the Titans. He had been “retired”
since placing fifth in the Atlanta Olympics, but the weak state of the
event among American competitors has motivated him.
