Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2002
Fred Hardy coached track for 35 years at Richmond and established an elite program that succeeded on a collegiate and international level. He was known by his student-athletes as a great teacher that elevated every athlete beyond its initial potential. During his years at Richmond, Hardy coached 45 All-Americans on the men's side and 20 All-Americans on the women's side. He also guided two Olympians and three NCAA national championships. Two of his former runners won the Richmond marathon. Hardy guided Edwin Koech to the NCAA indoor 1,000-yard run and his two-mile relay team won the NCAA indoor event in 1983. He also guided a two-mile relay team to a world record (7:23.09) for an 11-lap track in the Milrose Games.
Hired during the summer of 1950, Hardy retired from Richmond on August 20, 1985. Before coming to Richmond, Hardy coached at John Marshall High School, where he had set the state record in the mile (4:33.3) in 1936. Hardy received both his bachelor's degree and master's degree from the University of North Carolina. He was one of the Tar Heels' top distance runners and served as team captain during the 1940 season.
