Throughout the 2014-15 school year the Ohio Valley Conference will celebrate the stories of pioneers and leaders from each of our member institutions who paved and continue to pave the way for future generations of student-athletes and administrators. Check back here often as well as check out www.OVCSports.com/Diversity to learn more.
For Nashville residents,
Ed Temple Boulevard may be one of many streets in a bustling city full of people. But for Tennessee State students and alumni, the street symbolizes TSU legacy Ed Temple, one the greatest coaches in track and field history.
A Pennsylvania native, Temple was lured to Nashville in 1946 by a track scholarship at the formerly named Tennessee A&I. Four years later and on the hunt for a job, he stumbled upon a coaching position that would eventually lead to a lifelong legacy of excellence.
“It paid $150 a month, but when you didn’t have a nothing, it was pretty good,”
Temple said in an interview with the Nashville Scene.
For the next decade, the dedicated coach would push his athletes to the limit, having them endure hours of practice daily in the scorching southern heat. Temple wanted nothing but the best and it paid off. When the Tigerbelles traveled to the 1960 Rome Olympics, they made their mark, winning gold in the 400-meter team relay as well as two individual golds won by Wilma Ruldolph.
The Rome Olympics would be the first of three showings with Temple serving as the track and field coach for the U.S. women’s team where he led 40 TSU athletes into winning a total of 23 Olympic medals.
While he wanted his athletes to stand out on the track, he also expected excellence in their personal lives as well. In his 44 year career, he made sure his athletes were the best.
“They all graduated…I’ve had none on welfare and none in jail,” said Temple. “You’ve got to have determination. These girls wanted to win…They were great. I was here with all the great ones, and I just said, ‘I want you to prove that you can do it.’”
Even with fame and glory, Temple never left the city the made him a legend. In September of 2014, former students, prominent members of the Middle Tennessee community and a slew of his former athletes gathered together to celebrate Temple’s 87th birthday and hear stories from the legend himself.
TigerBelles: The Untold Story of the Fastest Women on Earth (promo) from Spencer Wilking on Vimeo.