Legendary Track & Field Coach Ken Shannon Passes Away
April 24, 2026 | Track & Field
SEATTLE – Washington Hall of Fame Track & Field Head Coach Ken Shannon has passed away at the age of 89, his family confirmed on Thursday evening. Shannon had a legendary impact on UW Track & Field for more than thirty years, influencing thousands of lives along the way.
Condolences have poured in from many who were coached by Shannon or had their lives bettered in some way on the UW Track & Field Alumni Facebook page.
A native of Porterville, California, Shannon was a standout prep athlete in track and football, then earned a B.S. in Physical Education from Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he transitioned into coaching on the football and track teams. Shannon then made his way to UCLA as an assistant coach under Hall of Fame coach Jim Bush, helping the Bruins with the 1966 NCAA team title.
He would venture north for his first and only Head Coach job in 1968, taking over at the University of Washington, where he would lead the program for the next thirty years. After stepping down as Head Coach in 1997, Shannon still served as a volunteer assistant for the throws, finally retiring in 2000 after 32 storied years with the program.
"Our Husky hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of one of our very finest leaders, beloved Coach Ken Shannon," said UW Head Coaches Maurica and Andy Powell. "Our thoughts are with his family and the countless friends and former athletes whose lives he impacted greatly. The outpouring of love and support for Coach Shannon from our Husky community has been extraordinary, and it's a true testament to the incredible mentor and person he was in his lifetime."
Washington had twelve Top-25 finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships during Shannon's tenure, including five Top-10 finishes during the 1970s, with a best of a tie for fifth-place in 1979 and a sixth-place tie in 1972.
His athletes combined to win 14 individual NCAA titles, 12 of those in the throwing events. In 1976 and in 1979, Huskies won two of the four men's throwing events at nationals, with Borys Chambul winning the discus and Scott Neilson winning the hammer in '76, and Neilson winning his fourth-straight hammer title plus Tim Sinclair winning the javelin in 1979.
Shannon had recently been in attendance to see his former protégé Scott Neilson earn induction into the USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame in Eugene, Ore. in the spring of 2025, the first such Husky to earn that honor. Neilson won an astonishing seven NCAA titles, winning the hammer throw all four years and the weight throw every year from his sophomore to senior seasons.
Neilson was one of many UW throwers who achieved historic success at national and international levels under Shannon's tutelage.
In 1976, Shannon's throwers swept the Pac-8 meet throwing titles, with Russ Vincent winning the shot put, Chambul the discus, Neilson the hammer and Rod Ewaliko the javelin.
The first individual NCAA titles for UW ever on the women's side (women's NCAA championship competition began officially in 1982) came in the throwing events, with Helena Uusitalo winning the 1986 javelin and Jennifer Ponath winning the 1988 shot put.
He produced 81 All-Americans, 39 conference champions, and his athletes achieved 10 NCAA records. Prolific events for UW under Shannon included 10 conference javelin titles, and six conference decathlon titles, highlighted by 1986 NCAA Decathlon Champion and record-setter Mike Ramos.
Shannon was a javelin assistant on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team, and was on the 1984 U.S. Olympic men's team as the throws coach. He also earned appointments as a coach to several other U.S. national teams, notably the 1979 Pan Am Games, and the 1986 Goodwill Games. In 1994, he was head coach of the U.S. national team for the Pan-African meet in Durham, North Carolina.
In addition to entering into the Husky Hall of Fame in 2001, Shannon is a member of the Occidental Athletic Hall of Fame and the Porterville High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Condolences have poured in from many who were coached by Shannon or had their lives bettered in some way on the UW Track & Field Alumni Facebook page.
A native of Porterville, California, Shannon was a standout prep athlete in track and football, then earned a B.S. in Physical Education from Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he transitioned into coaching on the football and track teams. Shannon then made his way to UCLA as an assistant coach under Hall of Fame coach Jim Bush, helping the Bruins with the 1966 NCAA team title.
He would venture north for his first and only Head Coach job in 1968, taking over at the University of Washington, where he would lead the program for the next thirty years. After stepping down as Head Coach in 1997, Shannon still served as a volunteer assistant for the throws, finally retiring in 2000 after 32 storied years with the program.
"Our Husky hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of one of our very finest leaders, beloved Coach Ken Shannon," said UW Head Coaches Maurica and Andy Powell. "Our thoughts are with his family and the countless friends and former athletes whose lives he impacted greatly. The outpouring of love and support for Coach Shannon from our Husky community has been extraordinary, and it's a true testament to the incredible mentor and person he was in his lifetime."
Washington had twelve Top-25 finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships during Shannon's tenure, including five Top-10 finishes during the 1970s, with a best of a tie for fifth-place in 1979 and a sixth-place tie in 1972.
His athletes combined to win 14 individual NCAA titles, 12 of those in the throwing events. In 1976 and in 1979, Huskies won two of the four men's throwing events at nationals, with Borys Chambul winning the discus and Scott Neilson winning the hammer in '76, and Neilson winning his fourth-straight hammer title plus Tim Sinclair winning the javelin in 1979.
Shannon had recently been in attendance to see his former protégé Scott Neilson earn induction into the USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame in Eugene, Ore. in the spring of 2025, the first such Husky to earn that honor. Neilson won an astonishing seven NCAA titles, winning the hammer throw all four years and the weight throw every year from his sophomore to senior seasons.
Neilson was one of many UW throwers who achieved historic success at national and international levels under Shannon's tutelage.
In 1976, Shannon's throwers swept the Pac-8 meet throwing titles, with Russ Vincent winning the shot put, Chambul the discus, Neilson the hammer and Rod Ewaliko the javelin.
The first individual NCAA titles for UW ever on the women's side (women's NCAA championship competition began officially in 1982) came in the throwing events, with Helena Uusitalo winning the 1986 javelin and Jennifer Ponath winning the 1988 shot put.
He produced 81 All-Americans, 39 conference champions, and his athletes achieved 10 NCAA records. Prolific events for UW under Shannon included 10 conference javelin titles, and six conference decathlon titles, highlighted by 1986 NCAA Decathlon Champion and record-setter Mike Ramos.
Shannon was a javelin assistant on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team, and was on the 1984 U.S. Olympic men's team as the throws coach. He also earned appointments as a coach to several other U.S. national teams, notably the 1979 Pan Am Games, and the 1986 Goodwill Games. In 1994, he was head coach of the U.S. national team for the Pan-African meet in Durham, North Carolina.
In addition to entering into the Husky Hall of Fame in 2001, Shannon is a member of the Occidental Athletic Hall of Fame and the Porterville High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
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