Maurice Greene never approached competition thinking about winning. Instead, the former Olympic sprinter focused on doing the work correctly — trusting that excellence would take care of itself.
“What made me different from a lot of athletes is that I didn’t go into events thinking about winning,” Greene told The Community Voice in an exclusive interview. “I went in thinking about executing. And if I execute, the rest takes care of itself.”
That mindset helped propel Greene from Kansas City to the pinnacle of global track and field, where he became one of the most dominant sprinters of his generation. Decades after earning Olympic gold and world championship titles, Greene continues to apply that same philosophy — now as a physical education instructor and track-and-field coach guiding high school athletes in Gilbert, Arizona.
“I’m just trying to give back to the young kids,” Greene said. “The hope is that my knowledge helps them get to the next level.”
Greene rose from Kansas City’s highly competitive track scene as a standout at F.L. Schlagle High School in the early 1990s. He said it is important for his students to understand that his success was built without shortcuts, relying instead on discipline, fundamentals and relentless work.
“You have to put in the hard work before you can get to the show,” Greene said.
Greene said younger athletes today often expect immediate success or recognition without committing fully to the training process. His coaching philosophy centers on execution and mastering the basics before chasing results.
Greene received a track scholarship offer from the University of Kansas but chose not to follow the traditional Division I route. Instead, he attended Kansas City Kansas Community College and later Park University while continuing to train in Kansas City under longtime coach Al Hobson. He eventually relocated to Los Angeles to work with renowned sprint coach John Smith.
He now encourages his athletes to pursue college opportunities whenever possible.
“I train a lot of young athletes, and I tell them there is a college out there for you,” Greene said. “If you can reach your fullest abilities, we can get your college paid for. So let’s work to be the best that we can.”
In addition to coaching track, Greene also serves on the school’s football coaching staff. He said the value of track and field often goes overlooked, even though it plays a critical role in developing elite football players.
“Kids see that other sports receive more notoriety, but every great football player ran track,” Greene said. “So if they want to be great at football, I suggest they also get into track and field.”
Ascending to new heights
Al Hobson, a longtime Kansas City-area track coach who mentored Greene during his high school and college years, said Greene’s competitive drive was fueled early by a rivalry with his older brother, Earnest. Earnest Greene was a junior college national champion and a competitor at the 1992 Olympic Trials.
“My brother is probably the biggest reason I accomplished many of the things I did,” Greene said. “I just wanted to be better than my brother. We were all-around athletes who wanted to showcase everything we could do.”
Greene also followed in the footsteps of other elite Kansas City sprinters trained by Hobson, including Schlagle standout Raydale Hill, Northeast High Olympian Tim Harden, and Wyandotte’s Wendell Gaskin, a USA Junior national champion. While Hobson said Hill was the most naturally gifted athlete he ever coached, Greene’s combination of talent and relentless drive set him apart.
Toppling an Olympic legend
Still relatively unknown on the national stage, Greene announced his arrival in dramatic fashion at the 1995 Texas Relays in Austin, Texas — fulfilling a promise he made years earlier.
“Maurice told me if he ever got the chance to race Carl Lewis, he was going to beat him,” Hobson recalled. At the time, Lewis was the reigning Olympic champion in the 100 meters and widely regarded as the face of track and field.
Hobson said last-minute negotiations were required to get Greene into the race. The field also included elite sprinters Donovan Bailey and Tim Montgomery.
“That year, the 100 meters was loaded with five or six of the best runners in the country,” Hobson said.
Moments after the starter pistol fired, the crowd of more than 30,000 at Texas Memorial Stadium watched Greene surge from an outside lane to a stunning first-place finish.
Hobson said Greene’s triumph at the Texas Relays vaulted him into the national spotlight.
“He was getting into all the big events after that,” Hobson said. “Everybody wanted to see him run.”
Circling back to Greene’s greatness
Hobson said Greene’s work ethic remains unmatched among the athletes he coached.
“He’s the most determined athlete I’ve ever coached,” Hobson said. “All he wanted to do was practice and train.”
Hobson added that if there were a Mount Rushmore for Kansas City athletes, Greene would assuredly belong on it. A five-time world champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist, Greene boasts credentials unlike any other Kansas City–raised athlete before or since.
As far as future plans, Greene said he is preparing to launch a podcast, The Speed Lounge, in early 2026.
“I’ll be talking about sports and entertainment,” Greene said. “I think I should be able to line up some pretty good guests.”