An icon in the track and field community and a very athletic driven coach is what people would describe Ron Allice as today.
The Long Beach native attended Long Beach City College for two years and competed as a track and field athlete from 1958-1960.
He is well known for being the Director of Track and Field at USC, where he led the mens and womens program to 25 NCAA top 20 finishes, a 2001 NCAA women’s title and 32 individual NCAA titles.
“I’ve had a lot of winning success, the real reward is like teaching, to know that you had a chance to share their goals and pursuit of excellence in the sport,” said Allice.
The first major colleges he coached for were Cal Poly Pomona in which they won two California Collegiate Athletic Association titles, Long Beach State where the team earned the Pacific Coast Athletic Association title (PCAA) and placed in the nations top 15 dual meets, and then Long Beach City College, in which the team brought home 16 conferences, 14 southern California and 11 state championship titles.
Darnelle Harris whos been in the men’s track team for three years now said, “He’s a hard worker cause he has to get you to do what you want to do, its like hes training with you.”
Director of Cross Country and Track and Field and also head coach Gabriel Rivera said, “Ron is very athlete driven, he really takes into account the factors that the athletes are working through, in regards of academics, athletics, and what’s going on in their home lives.”
“He really puts on a personal touch in regards to what the athletes are doing in regards of training, he’s extremely athlete centered and focused.”
Allice started as the track and field/cross country coach in the women’s amateur athletic union program known as the Long Beach Comets.
He then went on to coach at schools such as Compton High School, Wilson High School, and Long Beach Polytechnic High School.
Not only has he experienced coaching with high schools and major colleges in California, but working with Olympians and record holders as well.
“I found that maybe some of the greatest gratification I can have out of athletes is I can talk to you about people who were not even scholarship athletes and I can tell you about people who are multiple gold medalist and I’ve had a chance to be involved with both and that is a blessing,” said Allice.
After deciding to retire from his 55 year career, Allice is now at Long Beach City College where he volunteers as an assistant coach for the track and field team, his way of giving back.