Robert Abdullah - Men's Track and Field Coach - Princeton University Athletics

Robert Abdullah

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
rabdulla@princeton.edu

Robert Abdullah was named the full-time Sprints and Hurdles coach at Princeton in August 2016. In 2019, the long jump was added to his coaching duties and in 2021, the triple jump. In 2022, Coach Abdullah was recognized by the USTFCCCA and his peers as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Assistant Coach of the Year for the indoor and outdoor seasons. We believe Princeton’s success will continue.

In 6 years, Coach Abdullah has coached 38 Ivy League Champions, 63 All-Ivy League Performers and 16 NCAA Regional Qualifiers. In addition, his athletes have broken the school record 25 times, 10 Ivy League Championship and 9 All-time Ivy League records. Coach Abdullah’s athletes have cracked the All-time Ivy League Championship and All Meet Performance List 59 times, along with putting 59 athletes on the Princeton Top 10 List. Prior to becoming the Sprints and Hurdles Coach, Robert served as a volunteer coach for the Tigers for 12 years, working primarily with the hurdlers and assisting Coach Marc Anderson, the longtime sprints coach, until his retirement in 2016.

As a hurdles coach, Abdullah coached 8 of the top 11 outdoor hurdlers at Princeton, along with 9 of the top 10 indoor hurdlers. Coach developed Joey Daniels, a 5-time Ivy League Champion, record holder and All-American into a world class hurdler for Canada. Christian Brown, the 2022 Ivy League 60mH Champion also became the Ivy League’s all-time great, beating Joey Daniels’s 60m indoor hurdle record.

For the past 6 years, Coach Abdullah has been known for developing sprint hurdlers. Now he is building a reputation for developing sprinters!

As the sprints coach, Abdullah has developed the finest sprinters in the Ivy League. It started with Carrington Akosa, Charlie Volker, Simangaliso Ndhlovu and Greg Sholars as some of his great ones, but now they have company. In 2022, Ibrahim Ayorinde and Daniel Duncan have added their names to the list of “the great ones”. Ibrahim and Daniel have placed their names on the Princeton all-time list for the 100 and 200m. Both qualified for the NCAA East Regional meet in the 100 and 200m. In addition, they teamed up with Simanga and Greg to form the fastest 4 x 100m relay team in Ivy League history – breaking the record twice, 39.36 and 39.14. In fact, Coach Abdullah had 5 sprinters under 6.79 seconds for the 60m and 5 runners under 10.45 for the 100m. The team’s average (top 4 runners) in the 100m event at Princeton in 2022 was 10.2675. The all-time Ivy League record entering 2022 was 10.29, set by Doug Harris (1983) of Penn. Abdullah had 3 different runners tie or better the record: Daniel Duncan (10.17), Ibrahim Ayorinde (10.22) and Simang’aliso Ndhlovu (10.29).

Another major achievement in the sprints core is the development of his 400m runners led by All-American Michael Phillippy. Michael was recruited as a 48.17 400m runner. Michael reset the Princeton record and the Ivy League championship record by running 45.93. In fact, the team’s average (top 4 runners) in the 400m event at Princeton in 2022 was 46.90.

In the jumps, Coach Abdullah has coached some of the Ivy League greatest. Since 2019, all three of his long jumpers have jumped over 7.78 (25’ 6.25”): Gilron Tsabkevich (7.78m), Aviram Shwarzbard (7.85m) and Jesse Thibodeau (7.87m). Because Coach Abdullah is astute in body mechanics, he has the ability to maximize movement in most events.

Coaching with Marc Anderson, Robert assisted in the development of many of Princeton’s best: Russell Dinkins and Austin Holiman, multiple HEPS Champions and NCAA All-Americans; Richard Stewart, 2004 & 2006 Heptagonal Champion and multiple time school record holder; triple jumper and HEPS Champion Nana Owusu-Nyantekyi, Distance Runner, All-American and multiple time HEPS Champion Frank Macceery, long jumper and HEPS Champion Dwaine Banton, and more.

Prior to being appointed as the Sprints and Hurdles Coach at Princeton, Coach Abdullah served as the Sprint and Hurdle Coach for Rider University’s Men and Women’s Track Teams (2007 – 2008). His key accomplishments were: AJ Parillo, MAAC champion and IC4A qualifier in the 400m; Karlise Cureton, who broke all of Rider University sprint hurdle records (55m, 60m and 100m hurdles).

Robert also served as the Sprints and Hurdles Coach at Glassboro State College (now known as Rowan University) from 1988 – 1989. While at Glassboro, Abdullah coached seven NCAA Division III All-Americans – Keith Thomas, Kyle Brady, Maurice Ransome, Ralph Richardson, Jason Mouring, Euridee McCormick and Lee Sylvester.

Coach Abdullah has been very fortunate throughout his athletic and coaching career. While in college, Robert was a 4-time NCAA Division III All-American, 2-time National Champion. He broke many records while at Glassboro State College (some exist even today). He was a team captain and MVP (1981, 82, 84); A member of 4 National Championship teams and inducted into the Rowan University/Glassboro State College Hall of Fame in 1995, 2012.

As an assistant coach at Stuart Country Day School, Robert was a part of five Patriot Conference Championships and 5 Outdoor New Jersey Prep B State Championships.

Coach Abdullah has been mentored by some of the best coaches in the US: Wilbur Ross, Hall of Fame coach and author of the Hurdler’s Bible and trainer of some of the greatest hurdlers ever – Renaldo Nehemiah, Jack Pierce, Tony Dees, Larry Shipp, Elias Gilbert, to name a few; Steve Riddick, Olympic Gold Medalist and world ranked sprinter; Oscar Moore Jr., Former Head Coach of Men’s Track and Field Team at Glassboro State College. Hall of Fame coach and Olympian. Five-time NCAA Division III Coach of the Year; and Fred Samara, Head Coach of Men's Track and Field Team at Princeton University, Olympian, Olympic Coach and Hall of Famer.