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Former Tiger Russ Buller Named McNeese Coach
12/19/03
LAKE CHARLES, La. -- Russ Buller, a local product who is a world class athlete himself, has been selected to run the McNeese State track program as its new head coach.
The native of Westlake, who has served the past season as an assistant coach at McNeese, was announced as the university's new head coach by athletic director Sonny Watkins. Buller replaces Steve Baker who resigned in October.
A record setting pole vaulter during his undergraduate days at LSU, Buller has ranked among the world's best in that event for the past few years, at one time holding a USA best of 19-0 3/4.
"We are very pleased to announced the hiring of Russ Buller as our new track and field coach," Watkins said. "With his knowledge of the sport and his enthusiasm (for our program), we are confident he will continue to move our track program forward."
Buller, who graduated from LSU in 2001, said that he was excited to be given the opportunity of coaching the Cowboys and the Cowgirls. "We want to produce the best possible track and field team that we can here at McNeese. We want to be competitive not only on the conference level but also on the national level," the new McNeese coach said. He added that one of his main goals would be to recruit local and in-state athletes to the university.
Besides serving as an assistant coach at McNeese for the past year, Buller also spent one season as a volunteer assistant coach at LSU (2001) and coached from 2001 to 2002 at the Olympic Training Center in San Diego, Calif.
He was a six time SEC pole vault champion (indoor and outdoor) and was the NCAA outdoor and indoor champion in 2000 and was twice a runnerup. Seven times he earned all-American honors.
At LSU he set a school record of 19-1 in the pole vault, ran a 10.38 in the 100 meters and ran a leg on a 4x100 meter relay team that posted a 38.72 mark.
Following his career at LSU, he entered into national competition. In last year's Pan American games in the Dominican Republic he finished second in the pole vault while he had a fourth place for the USA in the World University games in Beijing, China.
He is presently in training for a berth on the USA team for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
This past season as a Cowboy assistant coach he coached Cowboy standout Edwin Billot to the Southland Conference title in the decathlon and to a berth in the NCAA championship meet.
Buller was a four sport letterman at Westlake High School, was a three time state pole vault champion, a two time national champion and twice earned all-America honors.
Buller is married to the former Dana Ellis of Toronto, Canada who is a world class athlete herself in the pole vault.
