Flower Mound Marcus’ hall of fame cross country and track coach Steve Telaneus dies
Steve Telaneus, who built Flower Mound Marcus’ cross country program into a state powerhouse, died on April 30, the Lewisville school district has announced.
Telaneus, 60, had coached in the Lewisville ISD since 1983 and started both the cross country and track and field programs at Marcus, where he won four state titles over three decades. The school district didn’t provide a cause of death.
A tweet from Lewisville’s athletics department summed up Telaneus’ career at Marcus succinctly.
“Marcus HS lost one of the cornerstones of coaching. Steve Telaneus touched so many lives and our hearts go out to his family. Great coach but even a better person.”
John Abendschan, head football coach at Boswell, began his coaching career at Marcus. He remembered Telaneus as an amazing man and coach.
“First day at Marcus was my first day as a coach and watched Coach T lead a Family of kids, 100s of them, WANTING to run,” Abendschan said in a tweet. “Absolutely amazing man and coach. Complete kid magnet and will be profoundly missed.”
The cross country programs at Marcus were elite, with the Lady Marauders winning four state titles. The most recent came in 2015. The other titles came in 1996, 1999 and 2000. Telaneus also produced individual champions at district, regional and state meets.
Former Burleson head cross country coach Curtis Enis remembered that Telaneus was always gracious and gave back to the sport. Enis said that he reveres a workbook he received from Telanues at a coaching clinic as a “Bible of cross country coaching.”
“I admired his team’s from afar,“ Enis said. “What I enjoyed about his was his willingness to give to other coaches. He’d talk to you and gave you a blueprint on how to build a program. He would sit down with you tell you everything he knew about coaching cross country.”
During his time at Marcus, Telaneus won five Cross Country Coaches Association of Texas’ Coach of the Year awards. In 2000, he was honored as the National Cross Country Coach of the Year and in 2004 he was inducted into National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
In 2002, Telaneus suffered a heart attack at the district cross country meet and nearly died. Following rehabilitation, which included relearning motors skills, Telaneus returned to the coaching.
“I heard him speak at a clinic once about the day of his heart attack and I was just amazed by his story,” said Burleson Centennial head cross country coach Sarah Eden, who announced her retirement last week. “Thank God, he had 18 more years to coach and guide young people. The sport has lost a great coach and an even better person. He was so much more than just a coach. His life was about relationships and how he loved on his kids.”
Others took to Twitter to remember Telaneus.