RESPECTED veteran athletics coach, talent scout, and former school teacher Albert King has died.

He reportedly suffered a heart attack on Tuesday. He was 71. King leaves behind two daughters, a son and two grandchildren.

King is well-known for helping develop star national athletes, including hurdler Jehue Gordon, distance runner Curtis Brereton, and many others.

King taught and coached several sports at St Francis Boys’ College (former Belmont Boys’ Intermediate), where he was a past student.

Among many others, King introduced Gordon to hurdling as a first form student at (then) Belmont Boys’, which Gordon attended until Form Five when he transferred to Queen’s Royal College.

The National Association of Athletics Administrations of TT (NAAA), of which Gordon is a director, issued a statement on Thursday, saying it joined the national and regional community in his passing.

“For over 50 years, Albert King championed for track and field development. He was an advocate for coaching education and national development plans as Trinidad and Tobago in his words ‘have some real quality athletes.’”

King was a level four middle and long-distance specialist coach at Health Olympians Athletic Club, based in Sangre Grande.

“As a teacher, he promoted physical education throughout Trinidad and Tobago and provided his expertise as a coach at the Caribbean Union Teachers Games in Jamaica,” the NAAA wrote.

“He was a mentor to young athletes and will be remembered for his many contributions to track and field education (in TT).”

Several past students remembered King as a disciplinarian but also selfless and dedicated to his coaching and teaching career.

Details of his funeral will be released in the coming days.