USF pole-vaulting coach continues to stand the test of time

At 88 years old, Don Marsh, the pole-vaulting coach and special assistant to Head Track Coach Eric Jenkins at USF, has spent a lifetime teaching the sport

"It's just been very rewarding that my coaching career has lasted a long time," Marsh said. 

The backstory:

A former middle-distance runner at Michigan State University, Marsh began coaching high school track and field in 1963 back in Michigan, but he has spent the last 26 years at the University of South Florida. 

READ: USF women's lacrosse team set for inaugural season

"He is a really caring coach," said Kobe Babin, a senior pole vaulter at USF. "He cares about every single person that is on the track, and he will give everyone the same opportunity and is just a great guy in general."

Dig deeper:

Though Marsh has been let go and re-hired twice over his tenure in Tampa due to head coaching changes, Marsh still brings the same attitude to work each day. 

"My wife doesn't want me around the house all the time," Marsh joked. "I just enjoy being around young people. It keeps me good, and it keeps me moving."

But, Marsh doesn't only continue his coaching career to feel young. For Marsh, coaching has always been about his love of the game and his athletes. 

MORE: St. Pete high school basketball star is "one of a kind"

What they're saying:

"He's probably touched a couple thousand lives just through pole-vaulting. He is someone who everyone respects," said Craig Dickinson, jumps and pole-vaulting coach. 

One of the lives Marsh has touched, in fact, is Dickinson's. Back when Dickinson was in high school, Marsh was his track and field coach and biology teacher long before the teacher offered the student a coaching position at USF.

"He's a coach who athletes call 20 or 30 years later and can talk to him," Dickinson said. "He was a mentor to me and has been a mentor to a huge amount of people."

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Sean Barie through interviews with coaches and athletes at the University of South Florida. 

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: 

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

University of South FloridaSportsNCAA Sports