Billy Maxwell had tried to do this before, the process of retiring from a career of coaching track that began 50 years ago. But he just couldn’t do it.
“I was going to retire last year, but I didn’t,” Maxwell said. “Then it came time to do it, and I couldn’t do it.”
The time has come now, though, and Maxwell will retire at the end of July. He’s been an assistant coach at Nebraska since 1996, working most closely with athletes in the sprint and hurdles races.
Maxwell is 74 years old. The past few years some health problems have made the travel associated with the job and getting around the practice facilities more difficult.