University of North Carolina Athletics
Track & Field
- Title:
- Assistant Coach (Throws)
Brian Blutreich, a 1992 Olympian in the discus, is entering his 11th season as Carolina's assistant coach in charge of the throwing events and his third as the men's assistant head coach. Under Blutreich, UNC has quickly established itself one of the nation's finest programs in the throws; a stellar 2006 season in which three athletes claimed National Championships under his tutelage provides all the evidence needed for that argument - and that's just the beginning. Vikas Gowda (discus), Justin Ryncavage (javelin) and Laura Gerraughty (shot put) all won NCAA outdoor titles last year, the first time in history Carolina produced three individual national champions at the same meet - and they were all from throw events. Additionally, to top it all off, Nick Owens gave the Tar Heel throwers a fourth All-America with his third place finish in the hammer throw.
This type of rampant success is rapidly becoming a hallmark of Blutreich's tenure, which has featured a remarkable 25 All-Americas, 41 individual ACC champions, and 102 All-ACC performers. In 2005, Blutreich's throwers were similarly outstanding. Gowda, Owens, Gerraughty and Jocelyn White all earned All-America honors that year. Additionally, White was named the ACC Freshman of the Year for the indoor season while Gowda was named the Most Outstanding Male Field Performer at the Penn Relays. Gowda also competed in the World Championships, finishing 14th in the discus. Not to be outdone, White won a silver medal at the U.S. Junior Nationals and finished fourth at the Junior Pan-Am Games.
Blutreich led the Tar Heels to another one of the greatest campaigns in school history in 2004, and, in the process, earned a National Assistant Coach of the Year award from the United States Track and Field Coaches Association for his work with women's throwers. Blutreich's star pupil that year was Gerraughty, one of the most heralded athletes ever at UNC. Gerraughty was a two-time NCAA champion in 2004, sweeping the shot put both indoors and outdoors. Far from done, she went on to become the shot put champion at the U.S. Championships both indoors and outdoors. The U.S. Outdoor Championship came at the Olympic Team Trials, where Gerraughty's win earned her a trip to the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Gerraughty wasn't the only Olympian Blutreich coached in 2004, though. After a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships earned him All-America honors, Gowda, representing his home nation of India, competed in the discus in Athens. He owns the Carolina record in both the discus and the indoor shot put.
Several other Tar Heel throwers thrived under Blutreich in 2004. Owens was named the ACC Outdoor Freshman of the Year after winning the hammer throw. He was also the U.S. Junior National champion in the hammer, establishing a new national junior record in the process. Senior Amy Parulis won the ACC title in the hammer, Marija Kurtovic was All-ACC in the discus and Karen Wyzykowski was All-ACC in the javelin.
In 2003, Ryncavage became the U.S. Junior National champion in the javelin and was the runner-up at the Junior Pan-American Games. Gerraughty's first indoor shot put NCAA title and Wyzykowski's U.S. Junior National record-setting javelin throw of 176-8 were other highlights of 2003.
Some of the past greats that have excelled at Carolina under Blutreich include Sal Gigante, an All-America in the weight throw; Allen Bradd, a two-time All-America in the shot put; Ian Douglas, a five-time ACC shot put champion; and Kestutis Celiesius, who took third in the javelin at the 2000 NCAA Championships.
In addition to his work at Carolina, Blutreich was the men's throws coach for the 2002 World Junior championships in Kingston, Jamaica. Under his direction, Blutreich's wife Lynda Lipson-Blutreich became a three-time U.S. champion in the javelin. Lipson-Blutreich competed in the Sydney Olympics and has been on two World Championship and two Pan American teams.
A native of Mission Viejo, Calif., Blutreich attended UCLA from 1986-90, earning All-America honors in the discus and shot put three times each. Blutreich also won back-to-back Pac-10 discus titles in 1989 and 1990. In Blutreich's four years, the Bruins won two outdoor NCAA team championships and three consecutive Pac-10 team championships. He graduated from UCLA in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. In 1991 Blutreich was a discus finalist at the World University Games in Sheffield, England.
The Blutreich family consists of Brian and Lynda, and their two daughters, Brooke Alexandra and Logan Kate.
