Usain Bolt’s coach Glen Mills retires as Jamaica’s head coach

This is a strange news, i'm not expecting a news like this out of Usain Bolt Camp.

Glen Mills, coach of triple Olympic and World Championship gold medallist Usain Bolt and president of the Racers Track Club, has retired from his post as national senior head coach, ending a 22-year reign.

"I feel that after being head coach for every World Championship, except the inaugural one and the one in 2003, and every Olympic Games since 1988, that's a good run, and the crowning glory in Beijing... it's good to quit while you're ahead," Mills told the Observer in an exclusive interview on Monday.
Last year Mills received Jamaica's fifth highest national award, the Order of Distinction (OD) in the rank of Commander Class for his service to track and field.

"I leave the scene in terms of the continued challenges of the (Jamaica Amateur Athletic) Association, athletes and coaches, but despite that, I leave with the performances being the highest it has ever been in the history of Jamaica's track and field, so one wonders if it isn't a paradox that these controversies results in tremendous successes," Mills joked.

He, however, noted that, "Certainly, it's not the kind of atmosphere you'd like, but I'm glad that I was able to serve Jamaica in the way that I've done and to help in developing the sport that I love so dearly, and it's time for me to say good-bye to national representation," he added.
The unassuming veteran sprint coach who has been practising his craft for the past 44 years, replaced the late great Herb McKenley as Jamaica's head coach in 1987.

"I learnt a lot from the great Herb McKenley whom I succeeded and was his deputy for many of years, from as far back as in the 1970s. I saw a lot of struggles to build the Jamaica team to the level that it has reached today, so it's time for somebody else to take it now to the other level," Mills reasoned.
Under Mills' stewardship between 1987 and 2009, Jamaica captured 71 medals at the World Championships -13 gold, 31 silver and 27 bronze. In that same time period, the country amassed 33 medals at the Olympics - nine gold, 16 silver and eight bronze.

Mills said he had decided to quit as head coach from as far back as the year 2000 after the Sydney Olympic Games.
"I took the decision then, that it was time to... allow younger people to take up the mantle, but the then administration ask me to continue for a couple more years so that somebody could be groomed to take over and with the exception of 2003, I've been at the helm of all the senior games... I've gone almost nine years pass the time that I had set," added Mills, who obtained a Diploma in Sprint Coaching from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Centre in Mexico in the 1970s.

He made it clear his involvement with the Racers Track Club did not affect his decision.
"Based on the fact that I'm not getting younger and the stress and demands of that job requires a younger person to take up the mantle... it's a good time to lead Jamaica while it's at the top because we were never always there," said the 2008 NACAC Coach-of-the-Year.

"It's a tough job and very challenging, as you can see from games to games, there's always so much controversy, even in the height of successes and in the middle of that usually in the job of head coach, because you're dealing with athletes based in the (United) States, Jamaica and Europe and the coming together and the whole period leading to selections and so on. A lot of time it's been very controversial and it's a very rocky road," Mills stated.

"Sometime the chemistry never always blended because (of) their demands and expectations etc. Sometimes there was controversy with the ruling body (JAAA) itself, and that usually spills over into the management team," he said, adding that the tough decision had to be made by his panel of coaches until recent years, when a technical leader was introduced.

"Some of them (decisions) we did very well, some of them we didn't get the success that we wanted, but... looking back at it, I really don't have any regrets. I think I served my country to the best of my ability and I must have been doing some things right for me to have occupied the position for so long," Mills said.
He singled out the disrespect meted to national coaches by athletes, their managers and spectators as low points during his reign as national head coach.

On the positive side, he singled out Jamaica's improvement in mile relay running, among his high points.

Jamaica Observer