| Mel Rosen | |
| Birth Date: | March 24, 1928 |
| Birth Place: | The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Auburn, Alabama, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | University of Iowa |
| Player Years1: | 1947–1950 |
| Player Team1: | Iowa Hawkeyes |
| Player Positions: | Middle distance runner |
| Coach Years1: | 1963–1991 |
| Coach Team1: | Auburn Tigers (HC since 1965) |
| Awards: |
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Melvin "Mel" Rosen (March 24, 1928 – March 25, 2018) was an American track coach.[1] [2]
He was head coach of the Auburn University Tigers track team for 28 years, from 1963 to 1991, during which time the team won four consecutive Southeastern Conference (SEC) Indoor Track & Field Championships, from 1977 to 1980, and an outdoor track and field championship in 1979.[2] [3]
Rosen was Jewish, was born in The Bronx, New York, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York.[2] [4] [5] [6] He graduated from the University of Iowa, where he was a middle distance runner, in 1950.[1] [2] [4] [6]
Rosen then coached at University of Iowa as an assistant for three years, while earning a master's degree and beginning work on a doctorate which he then continued to study for at Auburn.[1] [2] [6] In addition, he served two years in the Army at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he was track coach for the post.[1] [5]
Rosen joined Auburn in 1955, as an assistant professor in the university's physical education department, and as an assistant track coach.[1] [2] [4] He was in charge of the school's distance and relay teams until 1964, when he became head coach.[1] [4]
In 1978, Rosen was named the SEC and NCAA Coach of the Year, in both indoor and outdoor competition.[1] [2] [4] That year his team placed second at the SEC outdoor, fifth at the NCAA outdoor, first at the SEC indoor, and second at the NCAA indoor meets.[1] [4] His teams finished in the top ten at both the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships for four consecutive years (1976–79).[2] [4] He was again named NCAA Indoor Coach of the Year in 1980, and SEC Indoor Coach of the Year in 1985.[1] [2] [4]
During his coaching career he coached 7 Olympians and 143 All-Americans.[1] [2] [4]
After the 1991 season, he left as Auburn's track coach to become head coach of the 1992 U.S. Men's Olympic Track Team.[1] [2] [4] [7] He had been assistant coach for the 1984 Olympic Team, and head coach of the 1987 Outdoor World Championships team.[1] [2]
Rosen was USA Track & Field men's track & field committee chairman.[1] [2] He was President of the track coaches association from 1978–79.[1]
To honor him and another former track coach, Auburn renamed its new track and field complex Hutsell-Rosen Track in 2006.[5]
Rosen was inducted as a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, and was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1995.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] He was inducted as a member of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001.[1] [5] In 2004, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[6]