Although 20 years have passed, the anxiety of the moment still resonates clearly in the voice of Villanova head track and field coach Marcus O'Sullivan.

Then 22, O'Sullivan had qualified to represent his native Ireland in the 1984 Olympics in the 800 meter and 1,500 meter events. It was a heady experience for the middle distance runner who had excelled at Villanova from 1980-84. But that was only one of the emotions he faced.

Another was presented by grim financial reality that was epitomized a scant ten days before the Games would begin. O'Sullivan found himself without a shoe contract as the deadline for declaring what equipment he would use approached. Several promises of such sponsorship agreements had failed to materialize in the days following his May graduation.

So O'Sullivan would frequently sit patiently on the steps of a housing area on Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles where one of the shoe companies had set up temporary shop for the Olympics.

"I don't have a shoe contract," he says, recounting the episode. "I don't have any source of income. The only bargaining chip I have is that I am on the Olympic team and am going to enter the Olympic arena with spikes and equipment on that will have some kind of product on it.

"I sat on those steps every day. I had been promised a contract but the contract wasn't delivered."

Six days passed. The deadline for the submission of O'Sullivan's shoe company sponsor was only two days away. On that afternoon in the Olympic Village, O'Sullivan encountered a native of New Zealand who represented another shoe company.

"I don't have any money for you right now," the rep told O'Sullivan, "but if you wear these I will give you a contract in January."

O'Sullivan did some quick checking of the man's credentials and concluded he was legitimate. With no other option, he agreed to the deal and it worked. After donning the company's shoes in the '84 Games, O'Sullivan received his contract. That professional relationship lasted for another eight years.

"That's my story," O'Sullivan states now. "I was able to catch that wave and hang on for six months because I knew I would begin receiving a small stipend that would support me. That doesn't happen for everybody. I'm an aberration in terms of what most athletes have to go through."

Indeed, track and field is unlike many other American sports. There is no formal structure in place to help sustain athletes between the end of their college careers in their early 20's to the point when most mature in their mid-to-late 20's.

It is that gap that a new university endowment is helping the Villanova Track & Field program bridge.

"Marcus was really the individual who suggested this," states Villanova director of athletics Vince Nicastro. "He viewed this as a way to enhance the university and the track program while also providing an opportunity for some deserving graduate students."

The official title of the honor is the James F. Orr III Endowed Fund for Athletic Leadership and International Competition. Orr's $1 million gift established a graduate position on both the men's and women's track and field staffs. Each spot is filled by a recent Villanova alumnus who serves as an assistant coach while also pursuing an advanced degree at the university. While working at Villanova, endowment recipients participate in the USA Track & Field coaching development program. In addition, these two individuals hone their skills with an eye towards excelling on an international platform.

"One of the things I felt very keen about was developing an avenue where young women and young men could work on becoming competitive internationally after graduating college," states O'Sullivan. "What our athletes do in college at Villanova is wonderful and it's very important. But it's also very important to this program and this university that we have athletes who thrive after college.

"Vince and I had lunch one day last winter and one of the things we talked about was whether we would have an Olympian this year. It's a big thing for all of us. We take pride in that. What better way to facilitate that than by giving these individuals a stepping stone that helps them get to the next level?

"That is sometimes a hard period for an athlete. There is no infrastructure in place. So what happens is that athletes can peter out before they truly develop. We thought this might be a way to help create an avenue that can take them from point A in college to point B in their professional careers."

This is not merely about producing better professionals, however.

"This is a three-pronged approach," explains O'Sullivan. "These individuals can pursue excellence in sport. They also attempt to pursue a graduate degree. And then they have to be people who may have an interest in coaching at a later date. This contains academic, coaching and competitive elements."

Orr's association with Villanova Track & Field dates back to his days as an undergraduate running for legendary coach James "Jumbo" Elliott. Orr was a member of the four-man team that twice set the world record in the indoor two-mile relay in 1965.

"It was a privilege to be part of that team," Orr recalled. "It was generally recognized that it was the best team, with world records and Olympic medal winners."

Today Orr is the president and chief executive officer of LandingPoint Capital, a private investment firm. He has served Villanova University in a variety of leadership roles and is presently a member of the University's Board of Trustees. He is also involved in the university's current capital campaign, "Transforming Minds and Hearts: The Campaign for Villanova."

The gift from Orr was announced in December 2003 and this year's recipients are Carmen Douma-Hussar on the women's side and Scott Tantino on the men's side.

"In watching this unfold over the last year," says O'Sullivan, "I can say that this is a very high challenge for these people. To effectively balance all three together takes a lot of energy and passion. It is huge challenge but that's what it's all about. It's a true vocation to this project and this program."

The early returns have been extremely positive. Douma-Hussar and Tantino have provided insight to both head women's coach Gina Procaccio and O'Sullivan. Meanwhile, they have pursued graduate degrees and trained with the coaching staff, which has ample international experience.

Perhaps the most obvious dividend came when Douma-Hussar claimed a silver medal at the World Championships this year. Douma-Hussar was a nine time All-American at Villanova and earned three NCAA championships before graduating in 2000.

"It's very important to me to see someone like Carmen go on to the success she has had," says O'Sullivan. "We don't express it enough, even in our athletic department or the track and field office. But it's just a wonderful reassurance and kind of reward. It gives back to us what we are really here for."

Former Villanova standout Jen Rhines qualified for the 2004 Olympics in the marathon.

"We take an enormous amount of pride in that," says O'Sullivan. "Jen isn't a part of this endowment but she is part of this legacy and that's what we want to honor and perhaps enhance. The importance of having someone like that out there in Villanova's name is enormous."

O'Sullivan is especially grateful for the efforts of Orr, university vice president of institutional advancement John Elizandro and Nicastro in assembling this model.

"It's very unique, a very admirable pursuit if you will," states O'Sullivan. "I'm very, very thankful to Jim Orr for stepping in and making this something that will continue for years to come."

The mentoring aspect of these positions isn't lost on the more senior members of the coaching staffs either.

"It's funny," notes O'Sullivan. "In the first six months, they (endowed assistant coaches) tend to side with the athletes. Then in the next six months they begin to look at it like coaches and understand some of the challenges we face. It's neat to see them begin to look at things from another point of view."

Today Marcus O'Sullivan is a married father of two teenaged children and the director of one of America's most storied track and field programs.

Yet the steps on Wilshire Blvd. remain as vivid to him now as they did two decades ago. So it is only fitting that in tandem with Orr and university officials he has helped spur the creation of an endowment that could well be a staircase of its own for Villanova's future track and field standouts.