Blutreich Named Ducks’ Throws Coach

EUGENE, Ore. – Brian Blutreich, 1992 Olympian and a two-time USTFCCCA National Assistant Coach of the Year, is the new Ducks’ throws coach as announced Wednesday by head coach Jerry Schumacher. Familiar with the Pac-12, Blutreich comes to Eugene after a tremendous six seasons leading the throws group at Arizona State.
 
Over the past 25 years including successful runs at North Carolina and Oklahoma, Blutreich has coached his student-athletes to 28 NCAA titles, 81 conference crowns, nearly 100 All-America accolades and five Olympians.
 
“I’ve known Brian for over two decades now, and during that time he’s established himself as one of the best throws coaches in the world,” Schumacher said. “The experience and proven record of success he will bring to Oregon is unmatched. Most importantly, Brian is dedicated to his student-athletes’ development on and off the field of competition. I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to work together.”
 
Blutreich’s student-athletes are also sprinkled throughout the all-time collegiate top-10 lists including current NCAA-record holders Turner Washington in the men’s indoor shot put and Jorinde van Klinken in the women’s discus. All told, Blutreich has coached six of the top-10 performers in collegiate history.
 
That list features Washington, van Klinken, Maggie Ewen, Beatrice Llano, Tia Brooks-Wannemacher (at Oklahoma) and Laura Gerraughty (at North Carolina)
 
During the 2022 campaign, Washington and van Klinken won NCAA indoor titles in the shot put with van Klinken adding an NCAA outdoor title in the discus. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field, Washington and van Klinken both finished second in the shot put, Llano and Ralford Mullings were third in the women’s hammer and men’s discus, respectively, and Shelby Moran was fifth in the discus.
 
Under Blutreich’s watch, Washington and Ewen were both finalists for The Bowerman. Washington was a finalist in 2021 after winning three NCAA titles thanks to a sweep of the indoor and outdoor titles in the shot put and a victory outdoors in the discus. He was the third-ever men’s throws finalist along with Ryan Whiting in 2010 and Julian Wruck in 2015.
 
Ewen, the only woman in NCAA history to win shot put, discus and hammer titles, was a back-to-back finalist for The Bowerman with recognition in 2017 and 2018. She became just the second women’s thrower to be named a finalist, joining the exclusive list with Raven Saunders…