By Marvin West

Some legends are plastic. Some are pumped-up products of public relations machines. Some are hand-me-down fairy tales. The legendary Chuck Rohe is real. He took Tennessee track from nowhere to pretty close to the top of the world. After that, he did several other exciting things. The authenticity of his accomplishments has stood the test of time. Forever and ever, when Rohe returns to town, people stand and applaud. Old friends from the Knoxville Track Club, starting with Charlie Durham and Jerry Wrinkle, dust off stories from the good, old days.

“Can you top this?” is the theme when former lettermen get together.

There is no need to stretch tall tales. It is the honest-to-goodness truth that the Volunteers once got off their stalled bus and pushed it to the nearest gas station.

From the time I met Chuck, in 1963, he has been my poster person for the power of positive thinking. He loves life, doesn’t want to miss any and drags reluctant others along for the joy ride. Always up before the crack of dawn, he has greeted each morning with “What a day!”

Long-suffering distance runners, out before breakfast, forced to train even in the dead of winter, in chilling wind, rain, sleet or snow (or all the above), thought Chuck was at least half crazy. They ran to get away from their coach.

Those who could observe from a safe distance considered him different, intriguing and perhaps brilliant. His record is supporting evidence.

Rohe is identified nationally as the coach who performed an eight-year Tennessee miracle, planning and building from flat nothing to something big, 19 consecutive championships in Southeastern Conference outdoor track, indoor track and cross-country.

From time to time or at the same time, Chuck was several other things – coordinator of football recruiting for Doug Dickey, U.S. Olympic committeeman, athletic administrator at Virginia Tech, promoter of various and sundry enterprises designed to make money, vice president of Pace Management in Houston, part-owner of a partly professional football team, executive director for 20 years of what became the Florida Citrus Bowl and, more recently, owner, organizer and driving force behind coaching clinics named for Nike.

For endless energy, giant dreams and wild innovation, Rohe stands atop the list of traveling salesmen who have worn T caps. Swim coach Ray Bussard and basketball associate Stu Aberdeen were close but they paused for occasional naps.

Rohe was unique. In his mind, nothing was ever impossible. There was always a way and he could find it, organize the mission, gather a supporting cast, delegate duties and motivate those who would do the lifting and carrying.

Somewhere in the middle of a process, Rohe would vanish, gone on to prepare for the next great challenge.

Besides championships and all-American runners, jumpers and throwers, the Rohe legacy includes Tom Black Track and his famous football recruits, hall of famer Chip Kell and Richmond Flowers.

Rohe made a lasting impact on UT football recruiting. He convinced Dickey of the need for speed. The dual-sport athlete, football and track, was one result.

Chuck transformed Dean Planters tobacco warehouse into a magic kingdom, an indoor training facility, but couldn’t convince athletic director Bob Woodruff that the always modest track budget should never be cut or squeezed.

Great compliment from 1969: Paul “Bear” Bryant noticed Rohe’s multiple skills and decided to buy him for Alabama. He made what was called a “fabulous” offer.

Woodruff chose to fold instead of fight but Dr. Andy Holt, university president, stepped in and said no go. Rohe got a raise, restoration of reduced scholarships and the assistant he had been often promised.

Bear felt used. He was properly ticked.

A little later, Rohe was caught squarely in the middle of historic consternation over NCAA javelin champ Bill Skinner’s handlebar mustache. Coach Bill Battle had a no-facial-hair rule in football and the track team just had to conform.

Skinner, full-grown, 6-7 and 250, tattooed union welder, Navy veteran and heavyweight boxing champ of the Mediterranean fleet, was probably older than Battle. That did not earn him any slack.

Rohe and many others admired Skinner’s ability, courage and independence, but there was little choice. He grudgingly shaved. Alas and alas, his coach soon went away, to join Charley Coffey at Virginia Tech. There could have been a connection between those events.

Some of Chuck’s greatest adventures followed the Knoxville and Blacksburg years. He promoted and directed major sports events for Pace Management. He survived an experience with a different king of legend, Don King.

Rohe and Flowers invested in the World Football League, Shreveport Steamers. Rohe managed. Flowers played. That idea did not work out exactly as planned.

Chuck took Orlando by storm. He transformed the lowly Tangerine Bowl into a stunning success. He was nicknamed Rhino (tough skin, straight ahead charge). There should be a bronze statue or maybe a marble monument.

After all these years, those of us in the know still regard Rohe as a really big deal. He is different. He has changed some. For some strange reason, we don’t hear his trademark slogan, “What a day!” as often.

The hot line now is “Just do it.”