Legendary track and field coach Clyde Hart, who helped the USA win multiple Olympic medals and put Baylor track and field on the national map, breathed his last in Waco after a long-fought battle with cancer. While Hart’s demise is an enormous loss for the entire nation, former Washington Commanders QB Robert Griffin III had a special relationship with the now-departed coach.

Taking to X, Griffin III did not forget paying his last tribute to Hart, with whom he once got an opportunity to train during his Baylor University days. Robert even participated in the U.S. Olympic Trials, but failed to qualify. The bond he formed there with the coach lived on until November 1, 2025.

“REST IN PEACE to the Legendary Coach Clyde Hart, who has passed away at 91 years old. He did more than just train his athletes. He helped them become champions in life,” Griffin III captioned the photo.

Clyde Hart was born on February 3, 1934, in Eudora, Arkansas. He won five state championships in high school and ran track at Baylor from 1954 to 1956 after first choosing LSU. He began coaching at Little Rock Central High School, turning it into one of the best programs in Arkansas. In 1963, he came back to Baylor as the head coach when Jack Patterson left for the University of Texas.

Hart’s first All-Americans came in 1985, when Willie Caldwell won the 500 meters at the NCAA Indoor meet and led Baylor’s 4×400 relay team to victory at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. That win started a run of success, from 1985 to 2009, Baylor won 20 national titles in the 4×400 relay. He also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. team at the 2000 Olympics, when Michael Johnson won his second straight gold in the 400 meters.

Hart stayed at Baylor even after stepping down as head coach in 2005. He became director of track and field and continued coaching the 400-meter runners until he retired in 2019. That year, he coached Wil London, a Waco native, to third place in the 400 meters. Robert Griffin III also met him around that time.

USA Track & Field (UATF) awarded him the Legend Coach Award in 2017. Before that, he also won the Coach of the Year Award at the World Athletics Awards.

After he passed away, everyone praised his lifelong contribution to American athletics.

Tributes pour in for Robert Griffin III’s athletic director

Former coach Todd Harbour also got emotional after hearing the news. He even claimed that Hart “was a second father to me and so many others. He will be missed.

Not just the previous people like Robert Griffin III, but even the newer ones, who had limited contact with him, praised him. “Coach Hart was an amazing coach, mentor, and a second father to me,” said current Baylor coach Michael Ford. “We lost a great man and a Baylor legend.”

KWTX reporter Chad Vautherine also paid tribute to the legendary coach. “Devastated to hear about the passing of Clyde Hart. Was fortunate enough to meet him and put together a story about his life… it was MORE than extraordinary,” he wrote.

Even the people related to the Baylor sports knew they lost a great experienced person. “Coach Hart was a legend in track and field. He will truly be missed,” said Baylor Athletic Director Mack Rhoades. “He changed the lives of so many athletes.”

It’s truly a sad time for many athletes and coaches.