Robert Weir
Player Profile:
| Position: | Assistant Coach |
Robert Weir enters his third season as an assistant coach with Clemson track & field in 2015-16. Weir, a three-time Olympian for Great Britain and a veteran of over 20 seasons as a Division I coach, is in charge of all throwing events for the Tigers.
In Weir’s first season (2013-14), he coached Marcus Brown to an All-ACC performance in the men’s shot put. Brown threw over 18 meters for the first time and finished his career No. 3 on Clemson’s all-time performance list. In addition, Weir coached James Plummer to a school freshman record (168-3) in the men’s discus.
Plummer established the Clemson record in the discus in year two (2014-15), achieving a distance of 192-10 at the Shamrock Invitational to open outdoor season. Plummer was second-team All-ACC in the weight throw and discus as a sophomore.
Weir joined the Tigers after a one-year stop at the University of Hawaii. Prior to his time on Oahu, Weir spent two seasons (2011-12, 2012-13) as the throws coach for the nationally renowned Oregon track & field men’s and women’s program. He helped the Ducks win back-to-back Pac-12 men’s and women’s titles. In Eugene, he coached Jordan Stray to a 2011 NCAA Outdoor berth in the men’s hammer throw, and Laura Bobek and Tanner Harris to NCAA West Preliminary Round appearances.
Prior to his time at Oregon, Weir spent 16 years as an assistant and later the head coach at Stanford University (1993-2008). After beginning his tenure with the Cardinal as a part-time assistant, he worked his way up to the head coaching position for the men’s team from 2004-08. He coached many standouts at Stanford, including Michael Robertson who won the 2005 NCAA individual title in the discus. Robertson set a Stanford record in the event in 2007 when he won the USA crown.
As an assistant at Stanford, he was named the NCAA West Regional Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year in 2001. In 2001 and 2002, he helped the Stanford men’s team to consecutive Pac-10 crowns, the program’s first since 1927. Weir coached seven-time All-American Jillian Camarena, the 2004 silver medalist at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the shot put. He also helped Camarena to a bronze medal finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials that year.
Under Weir’s watch, Stanford’s throwing records were all but broken. He coached three women’s hammer throwers to school records in the event during the 2000s, culminating with a throw of nearly 220 feet by Sarah Hopping in 2006. He coached All-Americans in the women’s discus (Summer Pierson, 2000) and women’s javelin (Allison Beatty, 1999). Pierson went on to compete at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials. On the men’s side, Omer Inan was a three-time All-American in the discus and established the school record in 2002.
Weir made an impact as one of the top instructors in the men’s hammer throw during his early years as a Stanford assistant. He coached Dave Popejoy to the school record and a berth in the 1996 Olympic Games for Team USA. Weir also coached Justin Strand, a three-time All-American, and Adam Connolly, 1998 All-American in both the weight and hammer throws.
One of his top coaching achievements was mentoring Dartmouth graduate Adam Nelson, who relocated to the Bay area to train with Weir while he was an assistant at Stanford. Nelson won the USA Championship and an Olympic silver medal in the shot put in 2000 under Weir’s instruction.
Weir began his coaching career as an assistant at Brown University in Rhode Island from 1985-88. During that same time frame, he played in the Canadian Football League for six seasons (1986-92).
He has significant experience at the highest level of track & field, both as an athlete and as a coach. After a decorated collegiate career at Southern Methodist University that saw him win three NCAA individual titles and claim 10 All-America accolades, he went on to become a 12-time National Champion in his native country of Great Britain. He competed in the Olympic Games in 1984, 1996 and 2000, serving as team captain in Sydney, Australia. He also competed at the IAAF World Championships for Great Britain on six occasions.
Weir has extensive experience as an international coach as well. He was the throws coach for Team USA at the 2005 and 2007 IAAF World Championships. He also coached the throws for Great Britain’s team at the 2009 IAAF World Junior Championships. Weir was the head coach for Team USA at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, China.
A native of Birmingham, England, Weir earned his undergraduate degree from SMU in 1985. He participated in the 1997 World’s Strongest Man competition.
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