SAN MARCOS, Texas - Texas State Track and Field and Head Coach Dana Boone announced the hiring of Rob Gire to coach the Bobcat throwers this season.

Gire comes to Texas State after two seasons in the same position at Louisiana Tech. While at Louisiana Tech, Gire coached athletes to break three school records. He led Josh Cox to nationals and helped him become a second team All-American in javelin.
 
Before joining the Bulldog staff, Gire served as a volunteer assistant coach at Arizona. He volunteered as a coach at his alma mater after graduating in 2011 with a degree in sociology.
 
While a thrower for the Wildcats, Gire was a three-time All-Pac 10 honoree. He reached the NCAA Regionals his senior year in both shot put and discus and advanced to the NCAA Championships in the shot put in 2011. His senior year he ranked 22^nd in the nation among all levels, not just collegians, in the shot put.
 
Gire followed that NCAA Championship appearance by qualifying for the USATF Championships in 2011 and the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012.

Gire will inherit a strong group of throwers at Texas State that includes standouts Darian Brown, Jordan Huckaby, Talore Kelly and Julie Lange. Brown was one of two Bobcats to reach the NCAA Championships this past season while Lange just missed the cut at the USATF Junior Championships to be part of Team USA at the IAAF World Junior Championships.
 
Prior to his success with the Wildcats, Gire was an all-state junior college discus thrower, graduating from Chabot Junior College in 2008.
 
A native of Pleasanton, Calif., Gire currently resides in San Marcos.