Lamar University‘s athletic track has officially been named the Sonny Jolly Track at the Ty Terrell Track Complex.
Jolly is the legendary coach who led the Cardinals to nine straight Southland Conference outdoor track and field championships, resulting in nine conference Coach of the Year awards. He led LU to a total of 22 conference championships across cross country, indoor and outdoor track.
He coached 40 All-Americans and one NCAA national champion, as well as sending athletes to the 1984 Olympic Games. Jolly is also in the Cardinal Hall of Honor.
Jolly attended Beaumont’s South Park High School and competed for Lamar Tech, as the university was then called.
Even now, Jolly occasionally visits the track to see the team who are coached by Trey Clark, who competed under Jolly.
Jolly said when he sees his name on the track, he doesn’t reminisce about moments, but instead thinks of the people that created those moments.
“It makes me think of all the great athletes that ran for me,” he said. “They’re the reason that my name is up there. I couldn’t have enjoyed any more — it was the greatest thing.”
When he wasn’t coaching, Jolly was teaching. He said this love for knowledge greatly influenced his outlook on athletics.
“I believe in athletics and education,” he said. “I taught. And when I had a chance to get out of teaching, I didn’t. I wanted to teach and coach at the same time.”
Jolly said he also pushed that belief onto his athletes. He wanted excellence on the track and in the classroom.
“A lot of my athletes did very well for me,” he said. “We’ve got an orthopedic surgeon, a dentist, lawyers and superintendents. I’m proud of them because I believe in the student-athlete.”
Jolly said his athletes are what helped Lamar become a track and field powerhouse.
“I was lucky enough to have those athletes and win a bunch of championships,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without all the boys and girls that ran.”
The athletic complex is named for Ty Terrell, LU’s head track coach from 1956 to ’68. Terrell led the Cardinals to a Lone Star Conference championship in 1963.
Unfortunately, Terrell’s coaching career had a tragic end. On April 28, 1968, a plane carrying Terrell and five LU athletes crashed a mile from the Beaumont Municipal Airport’s runway, killing everyone on board.
Jolly said that the most surreal part of having the track named for him is to being able to see his name next to his coach, Ty Terrell, knowing it’ll be like that forever.
“I have to pinch myself every now and then,” he said. “I must be dreaming.”