University of Toronto Athletics

As a coach and a motivator, Andy Higgins has never been satisfied with “good enough.” He came to the University of Toronto from Northern Ontario in the 1950’s and graduated from the School of Physical and Health Education in 1959. Upon returning in July of 1971, he immediately helped to establish the University of Toronto Track Club and in 1974 created the first “shared-coach” situation in Canada. Over the years, more coaches were added and by 1983 the model evolved into Canada’s first High Performance Centre for Track and Field, which Andy successfully oversaw for 12 years.

Andy coached the U of T track and field until 1995. He also created the women’s program in 1974, from which emerged countless intercollegiate successes and world-class athletes. Andy guided many athletes to international acclaim, beginning with Louise Walker and including combined events athletes Jill Ross, David Steen, Catherine Bond-Mills and Michael Smith.

Andy’s legacy includes being a founding member and past president of the Canadian Professional Coaches Association and the driving force behind the Coaches Association of Ontario. One would be hard-pressed to find a coach whose career hasn’t been influenced by Andy. His book, “Best Coaches, Best Practices,” is considered essential reading for sports mentors.

Under his leadership, U of T won 21 OUA Track, five men’s and one women’s CIS Titles, and 21 national cross-country team medals (including seven gold medals). He also served as a track coach at the Olympics, World Championships, FISU games, Pan-American and Commonwealth Games. In 2001, Andy was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame for coaching.