The entirety of the distance scholarship budget goes to trying to win the Kenyan lottery. Li had done this his entire career with minimal luck but struck it rich with Lalang and Sambu. I just wonder if Lagat will use the same formula.
Arizona routinely brings in 3-4 Kenyans per year and Li actually had a budget allocation specifically for an annual flight to Kenya for recruiting purposes. The AZ website used to have an article called “Kenyan Connection” about Li’s trips and recruiting but removed it once he retired, likely because his “retirement” was under highly suspicious circumstances and they scrubbed most of his bio after he left, which was a bit odd. Lalang and Sambu broke through in dramatic fashion but the inner workings are brutal.
Essentially Li would go poach a small contingent of Kenyans from a specific village where he had connections and try to whip them into shape in the US. Between 2013 and 2018 he burnt out 16 of them within a 5 year stretch which is an insane turnover rate. He cut most after a single season if they weren’t up to standards & rescinded financial aid so they basically had to find some way to fly back to Kenya with zero money, which is absolutely inhumane.
The real question is- does the AD and head track coach Harvey believe they can corral a team of powerhouse Kenyans, or do they just burn through as many as they need to until one breaks through and ride the wave of a NCAA standout individual? It happened with Lalang and Sambu but never translated into team success (team didn’t even qualify for NCAAs with Lalang & Sambu placing 1-2 in nearly every race) nor did the extra exposure help with recruiting, as the team has been horrendous, especially since after Lalang’s departure.