For the past four seasons at Fort Collins, Brian Fox has found himself in a somewhat unique position.

Athletes frequently are coached by their mothers or fathers. And women coaching boys sports and vice versa is not uncommon by any means.

But it is rare that an athlete from a Class 5A school finds himself coached by his older sister in one sport and his brother-in-law in another.

That is the position Fox has been in since he was a freshman. In track, the 5-foot-8, 160-pound senior is coached by his sister, Laurie Rice, and in football, he was coached by her husband, Eric.

Laurie Rice is an assistant coach under Pat Busteed at Fort Collins, but the team's sprinters have been her main focus. That's where Brian fits in.

"Sometimes it is weird to say you are a sprinter and coached by your sister," Fox said. "But it is great being coached by Laurie. She and my other sister, Megan, have helped me so much. And, it has been fun playing under Eric, too."

Fox has found success in both sports, more so in track. Perhaps it is fitting, considering the bloodline of the Fox family. State championships run in their veins.

Laurie, who ran track at Penn State, was a two-time (1998-99) state champion in the 400 meters. She also was a member of the Fort Collins championship 800 medley relay team and a state runner-up in the 100 and 200 meters while leading the Lambkins to the state team title in 1999.

Megan, the middle of the Fox siblings, was a two-time state champion in the 400, winning her titles in 2001 and 2003. She is finishing her senior season at Colorado State, already having earned all-Mountain West Conference honors.

Brian Fox has not won an individual title, but he earned a state championship medal last season as a member of the 1,600 relay team. He, too, helped his team to the overall state title as a member of the state-placing 400- and 800- meter relay squads.

Brother and sister admit, though, there were a few difficult times because of their family connection. Fox felt a lot of pressure released when he had his state championship medal in hand.

"The first year with Laurie, there were some issues, and I felt like she was making it harder on me," Fox said. "It was like, 'Give me a break!' and I did yell back at her a few times.

"It was better my sophomore year, and when I look back, I can see she was really helping me. All she wanted was for me to do my best."

And the best is simply what Rice wanted from her brother.

"I probably was a lot harder on Brian his freshman and sophomore years," said Rice, who teaches English at Fort Collins. "I expected a lot of out of him and didn't baby him. I wanted to see the intensity of Megan and myself.

"But over the past two years, we have hit a fine balance. Coaching Brian has made us much closer, and it has been very exciting for me. I also give a lot of credit to my husband for Brian's success."

Rice also has Fox in her English class. She realizes it's natural that her brother wants to carve his own niche on the track team.

To that end, Fox hit his state- qualifying mark in the 100, winning the event at the Runners Roost Invitational with a rain- soaked 10.95-second effort.

Eric Rice said he has been more than happy to contribute to the family's track success.

"He has been blessed with good genes," Eric Rice said. "There was nothing really said between Laurie and me on Brian during the football season. I did not look at him as a brother-in-law, but as one of the players, and that's the way he wanted it."

Fox has high praise for his teammates and believes Fort Collins could make another run at the championship this season behind a fine sprint crew.

"Reece Cochran, Matt Yemm, Josh Keahey and Geoff Yeh, who transferred over from Mountain View, help put us back in the hunt," Fox said.

And what about an individual title for Fox?

"I'm a state champion, too, but now I would like to win an individual title," he said.

stockers@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5275

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