Coach O’Connor led the Rams from 1946-1973 and his athletes reset close to half of all Fordham’s track & field records contested during his days at Rose Hill. O’Connor guided many of his athletes to national, world and even Olympic greatness.

O’Connor was recognized as a quiet, unassuming leader who developed his track & field roster from sprints to middle distance and onto prominence in field events. O’Connor continuously put together his Fordham teams with quality depth competitive with any program in the Northeast and many times led the Rams to national prominence. 

Fordham’s track & field greats under O’Connor’s guidance include:

• Tom Courtney, the 800m gold medalist at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956.
• Fordham’s outstanding 4x800 relay team of Courtney, Terry Foley, Frank Tarsney and Bill Persichetty whose achievements include establishing the world record at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1954.
• Jim Groak, Brian Hernon, Don May and sub-4-minute miler Jack Fath setting the world’s best mark for 1967 in the 4x800 relay with a 7:21.4.
• Sam Perry, who set the world indoor mark in the 60-yard event.
• Marcel Philippe, one of the country’s top performers in the 800m.
• Frank Tomeo, owner of numerous IC4A indoor titles.