Ken Shannon, Washington Huskies Hall of Fame track and field coach, dies at 89

Washington hall of fame track and field head coach Ken Shannon, who coached the Huskies for three decades, has died at 89 years old.

Shannon, originally from Porterville, Calif., accepted the head-coaching position at the University of Washington in 1968. He led the program for thirty years, stepping down as head coach in 1997 but continued to volunteer with the program as a throws assistant until 2000.

Under Shannon, the Huskies had 12 top-25 finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and the program saw 14 individual NCAA titles, 12 of which were won in throwing events.

"Our Husky hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of one of our very finest leaders, beloved coach Ken Shannon," said current head coaches Maurica and Andy Powell in a Friday news release. "Our thoughts are with his family and the countless friends and former athletes whose lives he impacted greatly. The outpouring of love and support for Coach Shannon from our Husky community has been extraordinary, and it's a true testament to the incredible mentor and person he was in his lifetime."

In addition to coaching responsibilities at the University of Washington, Shannon served as a javelin assistant on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team and the U.S. Olympic men's team throw coach in 1984.

Shannon was inducted to the Husky Hall of Fame in 2001. He is also a member of the Occidental Athletic Hall of Fame, where he received his undergraduate degree, and the Porterville High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

This story will be updated.

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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 4:58 PM.