Q&A w Emma Coburn: Coburn talks about her decision to leave Wetmore/Burroughs, her goals for 2017 more

"Emma Coburn will be coached by longtime boyfriend Joe Bosshard."

The sentence above tells it all. This scenario usually doesn't end well. It was nice to see Emma in the top 5 in the world. You can kiss that success goodbye.

Maybe Alysia Montano's husband can help butcher up this situation even more.

There is a reason why Joe Bosshard and Mr. Alysia Montano are no names in the world of successful coaching. Say night-night to Emma!!

here's a possibility I'm surprised I don't see more often -- why don't elite women in underpopulated events like the steeple train with men who are about the same ability level?

https://www.tfrrs.org/lists/1684.html#19

I see a bunch of 9 low guys. There has to be a team somewhere with about 5 of them. On hurdle specific days, they could change the heights up, but otherwise, they should basically train together.

Too much gendered thinking in T&F, IMO.

Go on..

You're so cool.

Go on...

Because a guy who went to a Uni for five yrs can always perform just the same as a coach who has handled coaching both men and women's teams for 30 years just the same. That is why it happens so often. Like all the former Arkansas guys who went into coaching so successfully, or so many of the 300 people who went through the Wisconsin program the last 30 years. Many of them have gone on to coach just as effectively as McClimon, and Martin Smith, and Jerry Schumacher, and Mick Byrne. Think of all the excellent coaches that used to run under Harry Groves? Because it is easy, and YOU see no reason why it won't keep rolling right along.

I cannot think of anybody who coached an AR-level, medal-winning athlete who hadn't already coached at the HS-level and/or the college level FIRST, and whose main claim to fame was "I was a college runner".

There are several former college good/great runners who are or were coaches (Robert Gary, Salazar, Schumacher, Tyson, Powell, Jim Stintzi, Ken Popejoy, Jim Spivey, ... there are lots). But not one of them began their coaching stint with the all-time best American in their event, who is also their wife.

You are just naive to think this is normal or is not fraught with peril. How many men have their wives coach them, just because their wife was once on a team that qualified for NCAA XC Championships?

Gainfully Stupid wrote:

Maybe Coburn just really wants to be back in Crested Butte. I think after awhile, staying in the town where you went to college might seem creepy.

Except she is not in Crested Butte.

ColoKid wrote:

None you guys have a clue what's going on. Joe can get a job anywhere and did have a job as an accountant before he quit his job to support her in the Diamond Leagues and the Olympics. He'll do fine with her and I'm sure they have had a system in place for awhile. Emma was tired of getting crap from spiteful Heather Burroughs and told her to take a hike.

You are right, we don't. But if what you described is indeed what IS going on, then it is worse than I thought. You can make good money as an accountant, and is "support(ing) her in the Diamond Leagues and the Olympics" a full time job that justified him quitting his career?

I can see taking 2 weeks off last summer to be available 24/7 for the Games, and maybe take 3 days off other times for the DL Meets (if that is what that headcase requires). But there are just a FEW DL meets per YEAR. Take out 1 day for each big race she had last year and two days EACH for travel to them and you still have 340 days to fill that year.

Certainly he could earn MORE as a professional accountant than it would have cost to pay Mark Wetmore, no?

Neither of us will know until 2-3 years from now, and maybe she will hire someone else to coach in that period. So it is not for either of us to say whether it WILL WORK or not, but the deck is stacked against her getting better under the tutelage of any husband.

She seems really self-focused. If I was her husband I would have advised against her posing nude for ESPN (that helped no one -- except those previously obsessed who can now move on from the bone-rat obsession) and I would have told her to take down the homepage picture of her in a thong on FB, that doesn't help her at all.

rojo wrote:

Appearance fees, etc are basically not worth talking about.

Why not? Top 3 in the world, fastest non-African in the world. Don't think the Diamond League meets pay that well?

Yes the naked photos surely cost her a gold medal at the Olympics. Couldn't find the thong picture, but I'm sure it's out there and was the difference between running under 9 minutes this year and only setting the AR by 6 sec.

TLW wrote:

She's lucky in that there are only 1 or 2 women who could even come close to her times. She won't get any faster under her fiance

Exactly. You see this with a lot of professional female runners. They get married to these kind of goofy type men who don't have serious jobs or they work at a running store. The guys focus in life tend to be their wives' running career.[/quote]

It only seems that way because you have pretty limited access to their actual lives. Of course you only see them at the wife's running events. Do you actually know any of these guys? And who are you even talking about besides Bosshard and Simpson?

steezysteez wrote:

Yes the naked photos surely cost her a gold medal at the Olympics. Couldn't find the thong picture, but I'm sure it's out there and was the difference between running under 9 minutes this year and only setting the AR by 6 sec.

Are those the only reasons you can think of that someone should not provide nude videos of themselves running in the cold for the whole world to see? I can think of several.

She had a picture of her in a thong and jogbra up on a high-altitude trail or up by some waterfall (can't remember). It was her FB homepage photo for many months. That is a mistake.

reed wrote:

TLW wrote:

She's lucky in that there are only 1 or 2 women who could even come close to her times. She won't get any faster under her fiance

Exactly. You see this with a lot of professional female runners. They get married to these kind of goofy type men who don't have serious jobs or they work at a running store. The guys focus in life tend to be their wives' running career.

It only seems that way because you have pretty limited access to their actual lives. Of course you only see them at the wife's running events. Do you actually know any of these guys? And who are you even talking about besides Bosshard and Simpson?[/quote]

Well you're clearly married to a pro runner...

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The Ghost of Pat Davey wrote:

steezysteez wrote:

Yes the naked photos surely cost her a gold medal at the Olympics. Couldn't find the thong picture, but I'm sure it's out there and was the difference between running under 9 minutes this year and only setting the AR by 6 sec.

Are those the only reasons you can think of that someone should not provide nude videos of themselves running in the cold for the whole world to see? I can think of several.

She had a picture of her in a thong and jogbra up on a high-altitude trail or up by some waterfall (can't remember). It was her FB homepage photo for many months. That is a mistake.

This conversation is worthless without pics.

Would of? What does that mean?

live and learn spelling wrote:

Would of? What does that mean?

It will just get deleted anyway. Same story different day.

manage yourself wrote:

What planet are you on? Getting technique right in the steeple isn't a simple project, and optimizing training for a 5000 or any event is not as easy as piss unless you are accustomed to running like piss.

She is going to forget her steeple hurdle technique? LOL

Nike signs the previous 2 NCAA champs and sends them to one of their highest paid coaches. Then the only two women that could keep them out of 2020 switch from successful proven coaches to guys with zero experience in the event. Coincidence?

Wetmore coaches collegians. The pro runners have to conform to their schedule. Emma has been with Wetmore since she was a freshman. I imagine she is ready to have more freedom. She has been training more at high elevation Crested Butte. Also she seems to do a lot for New Balance. She will be fine and happy.