Chief among her black college predecessors is Benedict graduate and former North Carolina Central chancellor and head track coach, Dr. Leroy Walker, who was head track coach of the 1960 U. S. Olympic men's track and field team. In recent history, former Prairie View women's track coach and athletic director Barbara Jacket served as the head women's track coach at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. Current St. Augustine's head track coach George Williams served as an assistant men's coach at the Atlanta games. She's put a lot of young people through school and most of them have graduated. Unlike many skeptics, Sweat believed Jones could pull off her five- gold medal feat.
Sweat admits the tension got thick at times.
In individual events, the majority of athletes have their own coaches. There's not a lot of coaching unless they want you to time them or hold their blocks or let them know if they are doing this or that right. Sweat's team was the last to defeat the Lady Falcons in track and field. I because the pickings out there are real thin for HBCUs. Hopefully, with Sweat's appearance on such a grand scale, Norfolk State will find it easier to find future Olympic hopefuls.