Professor Bill Tancred

Professor Bill Tancred MBE was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Suffolk in 2008 and appointed as visiting Professor of Sport and Exercise Science in 2011, 2015, 2018 and again in 2021.

He is a double Olympian, world-class discus thrower, Commonwealth Games medallist, British champion nine times and an international athletics coach for World Athletics. He was awarded an MBE in 1992 for Services to Athletics.

Professor Tancred has a keen interest in Education and Training, particularly Sports Development. After serving in the Army as a Physical Training Instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, he attended Loughborough University and on a NATO Fellowship at West Virginia University in the USA.

He has taught and lectured in schools, colleges and universities. In addition, he has coached international athletes both at home and abroad.

Professor Tancred was Director of Physical Education and Physical Activity at Sheffield University and Professor of Sports Studies at Buckinghamshire Chiltern University College, now Bucks New University, from which he retired in 2001.

During his career, he was instrumental in developing sports and recreation, sports coaching, and sports management courses. Professor Tancred has published numerous articles on sport, health and fitness, and human performance, along with several books, including his autobiography about his life in international sport and higher education. In addition, he has presented numerous papers at conferences and received substantial grant funding for his research.

He has been Chair of Suffolk Sport, Chair of the International Athletes Club, and committee member for the Olympians and the World Student Games in Sheffield.