Lacey O'Neal became the first Black head coach for the Gators when she took over the women's track team in the mid-1970s. (Graphic: Kevin Camps/UAA Communications)
Black History Month: A Q&A With Two-Time Olympian, Former Gators Coach Lacey O'Neal
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 | General, Women's Track and Field, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Lacey O'Neal is now 77 and living in Washington, D.C., her primary stateside home since the 1960s. O'Neal first appeared on the world stage at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, a semifinalist in the 80-meter hurdles.
O'Neal returned to the Olympics eight years later in the terrorist-scarred 1972 Munich Games, this time as a semifinalist in the 100-meter hurdles. Being a two-time Olympian is just a small part of O'Neal's life journey.
She grew up poor in Chicago, blossomed as a hurdler at the University of Hawaii, and in 1973 traveled the world as a professional runner with the International Track Association. O'Neal rarely slowed down, parlaying her passion for helping others into a wide range of opportunities.
Lacey O'Neal. (Photo: Courtesy of Washingtonian.com).
Following the '64 Olympics, O'Neal turned away from the track for several years to work for Operation Champ, an initiative directed by the U.S. government to promote camaraderie between blacks and whites in the South. O'Neal boycotted the '68 Olympics in Mexico City, and after a career rebirth as a runner, she changed directions again after the 1972 Games.
She began to coach and made history in 1975 when she was named head coach of the UF women's track team, the first Black head coach in any sport in school history. O'Neal was 31 and reunited with Brooks Johnson, then an assistant with the UF men's team and her coach leading up to the Munich Olympics.
O'Neal's historical stop at UF, where she earned a master's degree in physical education, lasted for two seasons before moving on to new adventures. Over the years, O'Neal served as national coordinator of the Youth Fitness and Sports Forum, spokesperson for Post Cereal's Fun N' Fitness program, and as an appointee for the President Ford's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
During her busiest years, she found time to become a Peace Corps director in the West African country of Gambia for five years and work for the State Department as a General Services Officer for the U.S. embassies in Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
"Sometimes, when I think back, I wonder, did I really do all that?" O'Neal said recently.
O'Neal made her mark at a time when opportunities for African-Americans and women were limited compared to today. In honor of Black History Month, here is our Q&A with O'Neal:
LACEY O'NEAL Q&A
Q: How did you get the job as Florida's head coach?
A: It was a God intervention, as I called it. I was here in Washington, D.C., and a young lady by the name of Rose Allwood had gone down there with Brooks Johnson. He took a number of athletes down there. At that point, he was under the impression that he would be coaching the women's track team. When they got down there, it turned out that Dr. [Ruth] Alexander wanted a female track coach. Rose Allwood was on the [ITA] track team here in Washington D.C., as was I. Rose called me and told me that they were looking for a female track coach at the University of Florida. She told me that I should apply. The family would be together again. I would be with Brooks. I will never forget this. It was a Saturday that I called the only number I had. I thought it was the athletic office at the University of Florida. It turned out that it was Dr. Alexander's office. She picks up on a Saturday, and I told her who I was, and we talked. She said, 'you know what, this is interesting. I am looking for a track coach, and I only stopped by my office on my way to vacation to pick up something. My four sons and my husband are sitting out there in the car. We are on our way to a vacation. I won't be back for a couple of months, but if you can come down here, I would like to interview you.' She told me when she would be back. I gave her a call, and she told me to come down. We instantly liked each other, and she hired me on the spot. I would also get my master's degree, since I was there. That's what happened. I became the women's head coach and also went to school to get my master's. It was not an easy task.
Q: Do you remember what it was like when you took over the program at that time?
A: I knew what I knew. I knew that I had been coaching before. It wasn't like I was new and didn't know how to coach. I didn't know every event, but what I didn't know, I had learned from my previous coach, Brooks, and Donnis Thompson, my coach at the University of Hawaii. I learned from her that if you don't know something, learn from somebody who does. I was able to ask other athletes and coaches who had worked with girls out there who I didn't know a lot about. The most difficult thing was trying to give every event my attention. I didn't have any assistants. I was there all by myself. The men had assistant coaches. I kind of think during that time, to be honest with you, that we were set up for failure. And I'm not talking about myself. We were new as female coaches on that scale. But fortunately, because I had coached at a high school, it was an easy transition for me to be a college coach. What I found difficult, though, was that the young ladies were used to male coaches, and sometimes they didn't buy in readily to a female coach because they didn't give the coach credibility. I had been an Olympian twice, and I did it the hard way. I had the credentials. There were other factors, too. I was young. I was more or less not that much older than some of my athletes. Looking back, I would say I was kind of immature. That might have led to some disrespect that I wasn't aware of until I had actually left. Q: What led to your departure after only two seasons?
A: When I left there, to be honest with you, I left Florida with kind of an uncomfortable taste of the whole situation of coaching. Some things did not go as I thought they should go, and I will say a lot of it was due to my maturity and my relationship with some of the girls that would have preferred to have Brooks Johnson as their coach. There was some division there. I tried to be as equitable with my coaching as I could, but you always find athletes who do not always agree or get along with their coach. That was unfortunate. My intention was to give everybody as much knowledge as I could, and some of those came out pretty good and some didn't.
Q: What are you doing today after so many experiences following your UF stint?
A: I did a lot. After that, I got sidetracked away from sports altogether and became a Peace Corps director in Gambia of West Africa. After that, I ended up as a diplomat and I was posted in Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. I was with the State Department for six years. Finally, back to Washington, D.C., and now I am a contract mediator. I am still keeping busy. I'm 77, and I still exercise and try to stay as healthy as I can. What I do now, I did get back affiliated with USA Track and Field as an alumni member. I work with that board. It's hard for me to get away from track and field or athletics. I don't mind lending my knowledge.
Q: When was the last time you visited UF?
A: The last I was down there was when they had a University of Florida Track and Field alumni event. I was invited down there with Jackie Gordon. We had a great time. And then she passed the next year [in 2015]. I haven't been since.
Q: What do you think of Florida's track program today compared to what you experienced?
A: There's a lot of differences. One, they've combined the programs. I think [Coach Holloway] coaches both men and women. Of course, everything has changed in terms of the facility, in terms of scholarships. I think I was lucky if I had two or three scholarships to give away. It was hard to get the top grade. I had a lot of walk-ons, which was very good, but then it took a lot of my time because I didn't really know where to put some of these people. Some of the really good runners were going to Tennessee State. They had a really good outlet, because they had already started their summer track program. I think if I had stayed a little bit longer, I would have asked Dr. Alexander if I could have had a summer track program. That would have helped a lot. The other thing that is different is the pay. I can't even remember how much I got paid; it was minuscule. Lacey O'Neal during her days as a professional runner. (Photo: Courtesy of O'Neal) Q: What kind of resources did you have?
A: I wasn't afraid to ask for anything. I got a parking space right next to the men. I got a clubhouse. They had an old hut that was there, and it wasn't being used, so I asked if I could have it for a clubhouse. I also got an opportunity to have my girls go into the training room. At first, they wouldn't even think about girls going into the training room. I did a lot of stuff. I didn't have to demand it. I just had to ask, and they had no problem giving it to me.
Q: Did Dr. Alexander's death in 2020 bring back memories?
A: It hurt me so badly. She was a fantastic woman. I just loved her so much. She was always encouraging. Even talking about her now, I want to cry. She meant so much to me. She was very honest with me, very protective. She really made me feel wanted and appreciated.
Q: All these years later, what is your feeling about your time as UF's head coach?
A: It's bittersweet. Like I said, when I look back over it, there's some wonderful experiences that they allowed me to have. But I felt, too, that I had some real negative things that sort of put a bitter taste in my mouth as ever wanting to coach again. That's unfortunate. But I'm still a Gator. We had a slogan – I think I created it, I'm not sure – I'm a Lady Gator or something like that. It stuck for a while. I loved all my young ladies, no matter how they felt about me. I really enjoyed being with them and at least trying to help them get to the next level. They helped me grow, too.
