Tamara Ards, who is currently the USATF Vice-Chair for the Coaches Education Committee, joins the Sun Devil track & field staff as an assistant coach working directly with the women's sprint team after spending the previous three seasons with the North Carolina State track & field program as an assistant track coach.
Ards worked primarily with the men's and women's sprints and hurdles, and was a finalist for the NCAA's Southeast Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year after helping coach the men's 4x100 relay to the NCAA Final for the program's first appearance in the event since 1991.
Prior to NC State, she spent a season as a volunteer track coach at the University of Texas, training for the horizontal and vertical jumps, multi-event athletes, and sprints and hurdles' groups. Ards worked with Big 12 Indoor 60-meter hurdle champion and 2013 All-American Keiron Stewart, helping him approve his time to a new school record and 5th place at the NCAA meet.
Before departing for Texas, Ards spent three years at Clemson as an assistant coach focusing in sprints, hurdles and jumps. Ards joined the Tiger staff in the summer of 2010, and was involved with coaching and recruiting for both the men's and women's teams.
During her tenure in Clemson, the Tigers swept the 2011 and 2012 indoor and outdoor ACC championships in women's track & field. There she assisted in the development of 2016 Rio Olympic gold medal winner and NCAA Champion Brianna Rollins, while also working with 2011 NCAA Indoor heptathlon champion Miller Moss and outdoor triple jump NCAA champion Patricia Mamona.
Between 2011 and 2012, 26 of her athletes won ACC Championships in their respective events. Fifty student-athletes earned first- or second-team All-America honors in the sprints, hurdles and jumps as well during her time.
Ards coached the jumps, multi-events and quarter milers for three seasons at UNLV. She also directed the program's recruiting efforts as well. Prior to her stop in Las Vegas, Ards was an assistant coach with the Eastern Michigan women's track & field program from 2006-07. She coached sprints, jumps, hurdles and multi-events for the Eagles.
In 2005-06, she was the track & field coordinator for LSU's nationally-renowned program. She was responsible for all facets of the program's recruiting, fundraising, travel arrangements and meet management. During her lone season in Baton Rouge, sophomore Xavier Carter became the first athlete in NCAA history to win the 100m dash and 400m dash at the same NCAA Championships. Both the Tiger men's and women's teams went on to win NCAA Mideast Regional crowns.
From 2002-05, Ards also served as an assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of Colorado. She worked with both the men's and women's programs in Boulder, coaching primarily the sprints and hurdles. In 2003, she coached AK Ikuwakor to an NCAA regional-qualifying time in the 400m hurdles.
Ards, a USATF certified instructor for jumps, sprints, hurdles and combined events, was an All-American at Colorado in 1996 as part of the school's 4x400m relay. In 1996, her senior season, she helped the 4x4 to indoor and outdoor Big 8 championships. Colorado also captured the women's team championship in the Big 8 her senior season. She was a four-time Big 8 All-Academic selection, and still holds the school record in the 400m dash (54.22).
She earned her bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism in 1995. From 1995-2002, she worked various television and radio jobs as an anchor, producer and director in Colorado and Illinois. Ards added a master's degree in sports administration from UNLV in 2010.
Ards worked primarily with the men's and women's sprints and hurdles, and was a finalist for the NCAA's Southeast Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year after helping coach the men's 4x100 relay to the NCAA Final for the program's first appearance in the event since 1991.
Prior to NC State, she spent a season as a volunteer track coach at the University of Texas, training for the horizontal and vertical jumps, multi-event athletes, and sprints and hurdles' groups. Ards worked with Big 12 Indoor 60-meter hurdle champion and 2013 All-American Keiron Stewart, helping him approve his time to a new school record and 5th place at the NCAA meet.
Before departing for Texas, Ards spent three years at Clemson as an assistant coach focusing in sprints, hurdles and jumps. Ards joined the Tiger staff in the summer of 2010, and was involved with coaching and recruiting for both the men's and women's teams.
During her tenure in Clemson, the Tigers swept the 2011 and 2012 indoor and outdoor ACC championships in women's track & field. There she assisted in the development of 2016 Rio Olympic gold medal winner and NCAA Champion Brianna Rollins, while also working with 2011 NCAA Indoor heptathlon champion Miller Moss and outdoor triple jump NCAA champion Patricia Mamona.
Between 2011 and 2012, 26 of her athletes won ACC Championships in their respective events. Fifty student-athletes earned first- or second-team All-America honors in the sprints, hurdles and jumps as well during her time.
Ards coached the jumps, multi-events and quarter milers for three seasons at UNLV. She also directed the program's recruiting efforts as well. Prior to her stop in Las Vegas, Ards was an assistant coach with the Eastern Michigan women's track & field program from 2006-07. She coached sprints, jumps, hurdles and multi-events for the Eagles.
In 2005-06, she was the track & field coordinator for LSU's nationally-renowned program. She was responsible for all facets of the program's recruiting, fundraising, travel arrangements and meet management. During her lone season in Baton Rouge, sophomore Xavier Carter became the first athlete in NCAA history to win the 100m dash and 400m dash at the same NCAA Championships. Both the Tiger men's and women's teams went on to win NCAA Mideast Regional crowns.
From 2002-05, Ards also served as an assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of Colorado. She worked with both the men's and women's programs in Boulder, coaching primarily the sprints and hurdles. In 2003, she coached AK Ikuwakor to an NCAA regional-qualifying time in the 400m hurdles.
Ards, a USATF certified instructor for jumps, sprints, hurdles and combined events, was an All-American at Colorado in 1996 as part of the school's 4x400m relay. In 1996, her senior season, she helped the 4x4 to indoor and outdoor Big 8 championships. Colorado also captured the women's team championship in the Big 8 her senior season. She was a four-time Big 8 All-Academic selection, and still holds the school record in the 400m dash (54.22).
She earned her bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism in 1995. From 1995-2002, she worked various television and radio jobs as an anchor, producer and director in Colorado and Illinois. Ards added a master's degree in sports administration from UNLV in 2010.