David Job
David Job, a native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, had a standout pole vaulting career at the University of Tennessee during the 1964-66 seasons. During that time he earned three letters and claimed the school pole vault record in 1965. Before his college career ended, he was called to serve his country in the Army during the Vietnam War. He later returned to UT, resumed his studies in the School of Architecture, and earned his diploma in 1973. While finishing up his college work, he worked with the Vols men’s program as assistant pole vault coach from 1970-72.
For 14 years (2001-2014) Job was in charge of the Lady Vol pole vaulters and developed many school-record-setting athletes, SEC scorers, and NCAA qualifiers. His pupils hold the top five outdoor marks and the top three indoor heights in school history. “The height of my school record was a very modest 14′-7″. One of my Lady Vols jumped 14′-0″ indoors. I was hoping I could get them to jump higher than I did!!”
For 14 years (2001-2014) Job was in charge of the Lady Vol pole vaulters and developed many school-record-setting athletes, SEC scorers, and NCAA qualifiers. His pupils hold the top five outdoor marks and the top three indoor heights in school history.
A few of the Lady Vols that Job coached were Christie Elwin, a senior vaulter from Australia who increased her outdoor school record to 13-2.25 in 2003 and earned her first trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships; Jessica Reust, a sophomore in 2004, who blossomed into the Lady Vols’ top vaulter outdoors, winning the SEC outdoor title with a 13′-3.50″ vault; Kendra Rhyne who scored points for the Lady Vols in eighth position indoors and sixth place outdoors at the 2004 SEC Championships and carded a tie for eighth at the 2005 SEC outdoor gathering; Jessica Andrews who managed a tie for eighth at the 2005 SEC Indoor Championships; Alicia Essex, a three-time SEC scorer that included a third-place finish at the SEC Outdoor Championships in 2009; and most recently, Linda Hadfield, who became an impact performer as a freshman in 2011 with a 13-1 3/4 vault, a sixth-place finish at the SEC Outdoor Championships, and SEC All-Freshman Team status.
At some point following his graduation from the University of Tennessee in 1973, Denis did some coaching. He tells about it in his own words:
A few of the Lady Vols that Job coached were Christie Elwin, a senior vaulter from Australia who increased her outdoor school record to 13-2.25 in 2003 and earned her first trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships; Jessica Reust, a sophomore in 2004, who blossomed into the Lady Vols’ top vaulter outdoors, winning the SEC outdoor title with a 13′-3.50″ vault; Kendra Rhyne who scored points for the Lady Vols in eighth position indoors and sixth place outdoors at the 2004 SEC Championships and carded a tie for eighth at the 2005 SEC outdoor gathering; Jessica Andrews who managed a tie for eighth at the 2005 SEC Indoor Championships; Alicia Essex, a three-time SEC scorer that included a third-place finish at the SEC Outdoor Championships in 2009; and most recently, Linda Hadfield, who became an impact performer as a freshman in 2011 with a 13-1 3/4 vault, a sixth-place finish at the SEC Outdoor Championships, and SEC All-Freshman Team status.
In his full-time occupation, Job is president of The Learning Network, Inc., an e-learning company focused on corporate training. The father of grown children, Jeni and Matt, Job still resides in Oak Ridge.