Mize’s legacy honored with facility upgrades

The impact of legendary Louisiana Tech track and field coach Jim Mize continued Saturday with the official unveiling of the new fencing and entrance to the Jim Mize Track and Field Complex.

At the helm of the track and field program for more than 30 years, Mize delivered conference championships in 1961, 1973, and 1974. He also coached football alongside Joe Aillet and Maxie Lambright for 24 years. Mize lettered three years in football as a student at Tech.

Before returning to Tech to coach, Mize flew over 300 combat missions for the Air Force in the South Pacific as well.

Many former student- athletes coached by Mize were on hand Saturday to see the new facility’s light fixtures, fence, landscaping, and a plaque detailing Mize’s accomplishments and life story. Athletic Director Ryan Ivey gave remarks, praising Mize for his ability to lead with love and allow generations to feel his impact.

“Billy Graham once said, ‘A coach will impact more young people in a year than the average person does in a lifetime.’ And while I didn’t have the chance to know Coach Mize, I have, in my short time, met individuals that I know he’s had a great impact on and that he continues to have a great impact on today,” Ivey said.

John Allen, a former student-athlete under Mize as a member of the Southland Conference track and field championship team spoke before handing remarks over to Louisiana Tech University President Jim Henderson.

“You know a lot about an institution by the people it chooses to honor. We honor people by putting their names on buildings. We honor people by putting emeritus titles after their names. But if you look around the buildings here and you look at the names we have chosen to honor – Davison, Aillet, Bundrick, you go around the corner and you see Sarah and A.L. Williams,” Henderson said. “I never played for Joe Aillet or Jim Mize, but my character, what I choose to value, is directly associated with those two men because of what they did for my father. And you can tell that story for the offspring of every athlete that played for either of those men.”