Joe Rogers coached Talawanda High School men’s and women’s cross country and track from 1966-1969. Those three years at THS also included a full time classroom teaching assignment in the math department. Joe graduated from Hillsboro H.S. in ’62 and Miami in 1966. While at Miami he competed as a pole-vaulter on the track team. He completed his masters’ degree at MU. in 1970.
Like John Trump in football, Joe Rogers was responsible for establishing a solid and highly successful track/cross country program at Talawanda. His THS accomplishments included:
1966, 1967, 1968 MML Cross Country Champions
1966 XC District 3rd Place
1967 XC District 2nd Place
1968 XC District Champs, Regional Runners-up
1968 XC State Championship Top 20
1967 Track MML 3rd Place
1968 Track MML 2nd Place
1969 Track MML Champions
Joe coached Track and XC at John Marshall H.S. (Indianapolis) from 1969-71, and began his collegiate career at Olivet College (Michigan) from 1971-76. Hillsdale College (Michigan) came calling in 1976 for a track-xc coach where Joe remained until ’85. Returning to Indiana and MAC he became head track-xc coach at Ball State from 1985-1999. For the last ten years Joe has served at assistant coach at the United States Military Academy West Point).
Joe’s collegiate coaching honors include:
XC NAIA district coach of the year 1976, 1978, 1983 (Hillsdale)
MAC XC coach of the year 1987 (Ball State)
MAC track coach of the year 1990 (Ball State)
Patriot League indoor/outdoor coach of the year 2007 (Army)
Beyond his Talawanda and collegiate accomplishments Joe has continued to promote and contribute to the bigger picture with the USA track and field programs.
1983- Assistant Coach North Team National Sports Festival
1985- Manager US Team vs. Bremen Germany
1987- Head Coach North Team US Olympic Festival
1990- Head Coach Us Team vs. Great Britain and Kenya
1995- Head Manager on US Jr. Pan-American Team
Joe has experienced some wonderful opportunities in his teaching/coaching years but none have been more important than his influence on hundreds of Talawanda students and athletes.
Joe and his wife Irene have been married for 39 years. Irene is a physical education teacher at West Point Middle School and they have a daughter, Blytha, and a son, Jason. From the “Braves” to the “Cadets” we recognize Joe Rogers for his teaching and coaching successes and welcome him to the Talawanda Athletic Hall of Fame.