The SEC is going to be a really deep conference distance wise, especially for the women.
Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Bama, Texas, Ole Miss, throw in the random International from some of the other schools, O yeah and Texas AM that you mentioned. They also made NCAA cross.
that’s a lot of schools shooting for a top 8 spot at conference.
No top distance athletes should ever go to a school where the Director is not the distance coach. Otherwise you’re wasting your time.
I disagree.The Florida Gators had one of the top female distance runners in nation last season. I am sure that the director is not a distance guy. I would look at the track record of the coach who will be coaching me and the current runners who are there. What does your training group look like etc..Texas has had some really good distance runners as well and the director is not a distance guy.
I agree with never go to a school as a distance runner if the Director is not a distance coach. Their job relies on someone else. All the top distance programs have distance directors. The current Florida coach has to be the most clueless coach ever to get top 5. Parker does her own crazy cross training and he buys Kenyans. He doesn’t develop anyone. Watch FL Women go back to being like the FL men after Parker and his old Kenyan split.
I would say the program's formula and investment matters most. I would tell any sprinter to run from Notre Dame, but I would tell any kid in any event group to consider Arkansas because they invest in winning/championship. Arkansas will develop you. I have seen and know many distance coaches excel under a director who is not a distance person. Texas men's distance program is pretty good and the director is definitely not a distance guy. I understand why you said what you said.
I would say the program's formula and investment matters most. I would tell any sprinter to run from Notre Dame, but I would tell any kid in any event group to consider Arkansas because they invest in winning/championship. Arkansas will develop you. I have seen and know many distance coaches excel under a director who is not a distance person. Texas men's distance program is pretty good and the director is definitely not a distance guy. I understand why you said what you said.
Not Notre Dame for a sprinter. They are terrible at sprints and don't care. They currently have 4 distance coaches and haven't had any good at sprinters in years (got rid of their HC/sprint coach and everything fell off.) Ironically when he was the HC they had All-Americans in all the event groups.
Only a fool would think that they can only excel in their event if the Head Coach/Director coaches that group.
That is like saying in football if the Head Coach wasn't a defensive coordinator or defensive positions coach, I shouldn't go there and expect to be a top defensive player and potentially become an NFL player.
Texas men's distance program is pretty good and the director is definitely not a distance guy. I understand why you said what you said.
Edrick is not a distance guy, but he IS a distance guy. Don't forget, his college Head Coach was John McDonnell!!!
He was teammates with Joe Falcon and the rest of the Arkansas distance crew. He knows first hand the value of a well run and coached distance squad, and what their national point production can be.
The SEC is going to be a really deep conference distance wise, especially for the women.
Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Bama, Texas, Ole Miss, throw in the random International from some of the other schools, O yeah and Texas AM that you mentioned. They also made NCAA cross.
that’s a lot of schools shooting for a top 8 spot at conference.
No top distance athletes should ever go to a school where the Director is not the distance coach. Otherwise you’re wasting your time.
Graham Blanks / Maia Ramsden - NCAA Champs for Harvard, director not a distance coach
Parker Valby - NCAA Champ for Florida, director not a distance coach
Yared Nuguse / Dylan Jacobs - NCAA Champs for Notre Dame, director not a distance coach
The SEC is going to be a really deep conference distance wise, especially for the women.
Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Bama, Texas, Ole Miss, throw in the random International from some of the other schools, O yeah and Texas AM that you mentioned. They also made NCAA cross.
that’s a lot of schools shooting for a top 8 spot at conference.
No top distance athletes should ever go to a school where the Director is not the distance coach. Otherwise you’re wasting your time.
This is worth repeating. Distance coaches who are assistants end up spending a lot of time being DOO's , driving vans, doing compliance paperwork, ordering gear... etc etc.... They do this even WITH DOO's..... why? because as a Sprints coach, when we are directors, we hire DOO's to help our group first because that is the priority we have created. WE establish scholarship allotments to the XC team, too... in fact. A distance coach who is a pretend "head coach" for xc but not the Director of Track and XC (when there is one in place)..... is just an assistant.
These leads to less time focused on you as an athlete, less financials given to you as an athlete, and a MUCH HIGHER probability that the assistant leaves for a different job seeking that director role or plain HC without the Director as a title (mid/low majors mostly).
Sure there are rare things out there that counter this, but this is about 20% of the time.... Happy hunting distance nerds
Yes!!! Some of us come on here to learn about job openings. Others come on here to slander/trash talk hires and removals. Which is unfortunate. We might be one of the only coaching communities that continue to bash each other and hide behind screens! Be happy for people and also have empathy/sympathy for each other. We are in a profession where a lot of us don’t do it for the money. People that get forced to retire or let go still have lives to live, bills to pay and stomachs to feed!!!
All the best to those looking for jobs! For you younger or new to coaching stay motivated and get mentors so that you don’t base your opinion off of everything you read in this blog!
CHADRON, Neb. -- Luke Karamitros, CSC's Head Cross Country coach, has resigned of his duties to become the next head cross country and track & field coach at Drury
Texas men's distance program is pretty good and the director is definitely not a distance guy. I understand why you said what you said.
Edrick is not a distance guy, but he IS a distance guy. Don't forget, his college Head Coach was John McDonnell!!!
He was teammates with Joe Falcon and the rest of the Arkansas distance crew. He knows first hand the value of a well run and coached distance squad, and what their national point production can be.
I know of at least one former distance coach that would disagree with this statement... Don't outshine your boss.
The SEC is going to be a really deep conference distance wise, especially for the women.
Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Bama, Texas, Ole Miss, throw in the random International from some of the other schools, O yeah and Texas AM that you mentioned. They also made NCAA cross.
that’s a lot of schools shooting for a top 8 spot at conference.
No top distance athletes should ever go to a school where the Director is not the distance coach. Otherwise you’re wasting your time.
Vanhoy did alright in the distance events at Ole Miss while having a throws coach as the Director.
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