University of Massachusets Athletics
Bob Otrando Named To Pan Am Coaching Staff
July 28, 2003 | Men's Track & Field
July 22, 2003
Veteran UMass strength and conditioning coach Bob Otrando has been named to the United States' men's track and field team's coaching staff for the 2003 Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic.
It's not every day you get picked for something like this," said Otrando, "We'll have a decent amount of guys who will qualify for the Olympics. I'll coach all the throwers for the men - shot put, discus, javelin and hammer. I'll have 12 guys to coach altogether."
Otrando, entering his 11th season on the Massachusetts staff, held the World's No. 1 ranking in the Master's Division for the shot put in 2002, and will coach the Stars and Stripes' throwers at next month's Pan Am Games, a key competition on the road to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
No stranger to international competition, Otrando was a 1984 Olympic trials qualifer in the shot put, and holds the world indoor record (53-11) in the masters' 45-49 age group. He served as the men's shot put National Chairman for USA Track & Field from 1991-95, when U.S. Athletes claimed the gold and silver medals in the shot put at the 1992 Olympic Games. In addition, Otrando was a coach at the 1991 Olympic Festival and an assistant coach at the 1993 World University Games.
Currently, in addition to his duties as UMass' head strength coach, Otrando also doubles as the school's throws coach for both the men's and women's track teams.