WASHINGTON – The Georgetown University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has received a generous gift from an anonymous donor to establish the Coach Gagliano Men and Women's Track and Field/Cross Country Current Use Fund. The gift will make an immediate impact on the track & field/cross country program as well as honoring the legacy of former coach Frank "Gags" Gagliano.

Supporting the operations and programming for the current team, the hope is that this gift will spark excitement within the Georgetown track & field/cross country community both aiding the current student-athletes in their quest for greatness, while honoring one of the best to coach on the Hilltop.

"The establishment of this fund serves as a testament to the legacy of Coach Gags' impact on Georgetown's men and women's track & field/cross country programs," said Francis X. Rienzo Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed. "His influence on this community is undeniable and this fund will continue his impact by providing essential support to our student-athletes during their time on the Hilltop."

Coach Gags recruited some of the finest athletes in the nation to the Hilltop and the results spoke for themselves. Olympians John Trautmann '91, Steve Holman '92, Kevin McMahon '94, Rich Kenah `92, Bryan Woodward `97; and NCAA champions Michael Stahr `88, Ethan Frey `91, Michael Jasper `91, Trautmann, Holman, Kenah, and Woodward all competed for the Blue & Gray. He coached 58 individual IC4A champions and 140 All-America performers while his student-athletes set 46 school records.

Collectively, his squads garnered 10 IC4A team titles, eight Penn Relay Championship of America wheels, including a world-record-breaking distance medley relay team, and 23 BIG EAST team championships.

Twice named National Coach of the Year, Gags coached Team USA at the 1993 World University Games and served as an assistant coach on the USA's World Championship team in 1997. His 18 years on the Hilltop -- 16 years as head coach -- is the longest tenure for any track coach in Georgetown's storied athletic history and he is a member of the Georgetown Athletics Hall of Fame.

"I am deeply humbled and honored to have a fund named after me, especially one that will support the next generation of track & field athletes," remarked Gagliano. "Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work with incredibly talented individuals who have shown dedication, perseverance, and a true passion for the sport."

The legacy will continue close to home for Coach Gags as the fund bearing his name will allow former athletes to contribute in an impactful way, while honoring what he brought to Georgetown. One of those former athletes is current Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Alton McKenzie who competed under Gags, graduating from Georgetown in 1993.

"I am excited about the potential of the Coach Gagliano Men's and Women's Track and Field/Cross Country Current Use Fund to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our student-athletes," McKenize remarked. "Gags has made a tremendous impact not just on our program but the lives and careers of so many student-athletes beyond the Hilltop, and this fund will carry out his legacy for years to come. I look forward to seeing the incredible achievements that these men and women will accomplish with the support of this fund."

For more additional information on supporting the Coach Gagliano Men and Women's Track and Field/Cross Country Current Use Fund, please contact Scarlett Schneider Ph.D., Sr. Director of Athletics Development at scarlett.schneider@georgetown.edu or 202-687-2734.