Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech Director of Track and Field Brian Johnson announced Monday the addition of George Cleare as associate head coach specializing in jumps and sprints.
Cleare brings to Ruston a wealth of national and international coaching experience during his time at Texas Southern University and the University of Georgia as well as World Championships and Olympics head coach for his native country, the Bahamas.
“I am very excited to add someone of George’s caliber and championship DNA to our coaching staff,” said Johnson. “George is someone who truly embraces athlete development, a team-first mentality, and a history of creating winning habits. I welcome George, his wife Krishanda, and his son, George II, to the LA Tech Family.”
Most recently, Cleare spent the last five years as an assistant coach for the men’s track and field program at Texas Southern, helping guide the Tigers to runner-up finishes at the SWAC Outdoor and Indoor Championships in 2022. He coached three individual SWAC champions at TSU, Roman Turner (60m), Chadwick Williams (javelin), and Hezekiah Freeman (outdoor shot put).
Prior to TSU, Cleare spent 2010-2015 at Georgia where he coached two SEC Champions in Chanice Porter (indoor long jump) and Saniel Atkinson-Grier (outdoor high jump), six first-team All-American selections, and the NCAA 400m indoor champion, Shaunae Miller, while also breaking two school records in the women’s indoor and outdoor 400m.
Cleare was instrumental in the Lady Bulldogs signing the fourth highest ranked recruiting class following the 2012-13 season, the best ranking in program history.
On the international level, Cleare served as the Bahamas’ head coach during the 2013 World Championships in Moscow and the 2016 Olympics in Rio. In 2013, the Bahamas recorded 11 World Champion qualifiers earning five medals.
Cleare has also developed 10 Olympians, including six competing at the 2016 Rio games, highlighted by Steven Gardiner winning a Silver Medal in the men’s 4x400m relay.
“Joining the Louisiana Tech staff is an incredible and very exciting opportunity. I want to thank Coach Johnson and the administration for welcoming me to their team. I can’t wait to build on the Tech’s rich history and contribute to the team’s continued success.”
Cleare also worked with postgraduate Chris Carter on his way to the 2018 USA indoor national championship in the triple jump (17.20m) and a fifth-place finish at the 2018 International Association of Athletics Federations World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala. (17.15m).
Clear also served as the Bahamas 2009 World Championships Relay Coordinator where his 4x100m relay team won a silver medal.
In addition to coaching, Cleare has been an IAAF Level 1 Lecturer for coach education since 2009.
Cleare graduated with a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Galilee College in Nassau, the Bahamas in 2009 and earned a master of science degree in health and kinesiology from Texas Southern in 2018.
Cleare is currently pursuing his Ed.D. in education administration and supervision from Texas Southern.
