Stuart B. Allen

Stuart Beamon Allen was a native of Richmond, Virginia. The 1996 Emory & Henry Sports Hall of Fame inductee played four sports as a Wasp: football, basketball, baseball, and track. However, his induction highlights his success as a track coach.

Allen led Emory & Henry’s baseball team as a captain and catcher, threw javelin in track, and doubled up responsibilities as a blocking back and a defensive back for the football team. After graduation, Allen served in the U.S. army for two years before attending the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where he received a Masters in Education.

Allen began his coaching career at Spotsylvania High School. He then achieved tremendous success as a track coach at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he also taught physical education. During Stuart’s 16 years as head track coach at Myers Park High School, his teams won state championships 11 times. In addition, Allen’s cross country teams won state championships four years in a row from 1958-61.

Allen was selected by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association as the Track Coach of the Year in 1970 and received the NHS-ACA Distinguished Service Award from Emory & Henry College the following year.

Allen and his family relocated back to Virginia in 1971 where Allen began coaching and teaching at John Handley High School. Allen retired after 40 years of coaching in 1990.

Born on August 8, 1925, Stuart B. Allen passed away on November 26, 2014 due to Alzheimer’s disease.