TCC tabs Maclay’s Gary Droze as women’s XC head coach

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 18, 2016) - Tallahassee Community College director of athletics Rob Chaney has announced Gary Droze will be the Eagles’ first women’s cross country head coach.

Droze currently teaches at Tallahassee’s Maclay School, where he also coaches the Marauders’ cross country and track teams.

“I’m extremely excited to welcome Gary to the TCC Athletics family,” said Chaney. “He is well-known and highly-respected throughout Tallahassee’s vibrant running community.

“His knowledge of the sport and passion for teaching students will bring instant credibility to our program and be a great resource for our student-athletes.”

Droze has blazed a decorated career at Maclay, where he has coached since 1993 and led the Marauders’ boys and girls cross country and track teams to 20 FHSAA state titles, five in each different role.

In 2014, Droze was named the Florida Athletic Coaches’ Association Girls Track Coach of the Year and, in 2015, was the Tallahassee Democrat Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year following Maclay’s runners-up finish at the Class 1A State Cross Country Meet.

"Few coaches are offered the chance to start a brand new program, especially at the collegiate level,” said Droze. “I am grateful for this opportunity and very excited to get the sport of women's cross country up and running – quite literally! – at Tallahassee Community College. 

“I'm confident we will add to the growing list of scholar-athletes (at TCC), as well as the rich tradition of distance running success in this community.”  

Women’s cross country will be the fifth sport offered by the Eagles and marks the first addition to the program since 1994-95, when the last of the four current teams – women’s basketball – began competition in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

Droze will continue in his roles at Maclay while launching the Eagles’ fledgling program, which begins competition in August. 

Droze ran collegiately at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he was the team’s most valuable player in 1982 and earned a bachelor’s degree in academics in 1983. He earned a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Florida State University in 1996.

TCC will formally introduce Droze at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 19 in the Bill Hebrock Eagledome as part of the Eagles’ Spring Signing Day Ceremony.