Veteran Pole Vault Coach Rick Attig Joins Nebraska Staff

Longtime Kansas Assistant Track Coach Rick Attig, who helped produce 33 All-America performances in 16 seasons as the Jayhawks' vertical jumps/combined events coach, has joined the Husker staff, Nebraska Head Coach Gary Pepin announced Monday. Attig will coach the pole vaulters and multi-event athletes as the Huskers look to defend the Big 12 men's and women's indoor and outdoor titles.

"He is regarded as one of the top pole vault/multi-event coaches in America," Pepin said. "We're thrilled to have a coach of his caliber join the staff here at Nebraska. He's a perfect fit."

Attig fills the hole left by longtime Husker Assistant Coach Mark Kostek, who was named the director of the Drake Relays last month.

At Kansas, Attig helped seven men's vaulters reach the 18-foot plateau, a feat that has not been reached by any other collegiate coach. In all, his athletes have won four national championships, broken two NCAA records, and claimed 30 conference titles.

On the women's side, Attig coached KU pole vaulter Andrea Branson to five All-America certificates in three seasons. Most recently, Branson earned indoor and outdoor All-America honors during the 2000 season.

Former Attig-coached vaulters Pat Manson and Scott Huffman, have both experienced success at the international level since leaving Kansas. Manson was the 1996 U.S. Indoor champion, while Huffman, a three-time national champion, was a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team and once held the American record with a vault of 19-7.

Aside from vaulters, Attig also coached All-America high jumpers from 1992 to 1995, while his multi-event athletes have claimed four All-America performances.

The author of USA Track and Field pole vault manual, Attig also served as the National Pole Vault Development chairman. At the 1989 and 1993 U.S. Olympic Festivals, Attig was selected to serve as the jumps coach for the North team.

A native of Murphysboro, Ill., Attig earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Southeast Missouri State, where he was a four-year letterman and team captain in both football and track. He then coached at Cape Central (Mo.) High School for two seasons and at Raytown (Mo.) South High School for seven seasons before joining the Kansas staff in 1984.

Attig and his wife, Stephanie, have two children: Garrett, 22, and Marci, 19.