2017 College Track & Field Open Coaching Positions Discussion

T&F: Ohio State Extends Contract of Karen Dennis

Dennis coached men’s team to silver at B1G meet and women to fourth-place finish in 2017

Columbus, Ohio – The contract of Karen Dennis, the director of cross country and track and field at Ohio State, has been extended through the 2021 season, TJ Shelton, associate athletics director for sports administration, announced on Tuesday.

“I’m extremely excited to announce the extension of Coach Dennis’ contract through 2021,” Shelton said. “Karen and her staff continue to do a remarkable job leading our men’s and women’s programs. Under her leadership, the program has continually grown achieving academic excellence, being competitive on the national stage, and staying heavily involved in community relations. I’m looking forward to the continued success under the direction of Coach Dennis.”

Dennis, in her 15th year overall in Columbus and third year as director of both women’s and men’s programs, has been at the helm for all four women’s Big Ten titles in program history. She led the Buckeye women to back-to-back B1G outdoor titles in 2011 and 2012 and she constructed two championship B1G indoor teams in 2011 and 2015.

“I appreciate the confidence my administrators Gene Smith (Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletics Director) and TJ Shelton have in me by offering this multi-year contract extension,” Dennis mentioned. “The extension gives me the security necessary to recruit prospective student-athletes to both our men’s and women’s programs to adequately sustain a winning culture indicative of Buckeye Nation.

“It’s gratifying to me and my staff to have the necessary support to succeed in a highly competitive track and field/cross country culture. I’m looking forward to our continued success with renewed enthusiasm. Ohio State is truly a special place…it is extremely motivating to get to work with people you respect and admire on a daily basis, it pushes you to be better a better coach, mentor, and person.”

In 2017, the Buckeyes have excelled as a program. The women earned a bronze showing at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, and the men placed second at the outdoor conference meet, their highest placing since 2009. The women’s cross country team narrowly missed out on a bid to the NCAA Championships last fall with a sixth-place finish at the Great Lakes Regional; it would have been the third bid in program history and second within the last three years.

In 2017 alone, 10 school records have been broken. Excluding those 10 school records, 28 additional top-five marks in program history have been registered. Five of the school records came about during indoors, three of which were recorded at the Big Ten indoor meet. The other five have come during the outdoor slate including three at the Big Ten outdoor championships on May 12-14.

Dennis has the men and women ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the Great Lakes Region entering the NCAA East Preliminaries. Twenty-eight individual Buckeyes will don the Scarlet and Gray with hopes of advancing to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., in mid-June.

Aside from getting it done on the track, the Buckeyes have been working diligently in the classroom and the community. Fifty-five athletes from cross country and track and field were named Ohio State Scholar-Athletes during the 2016-17 school year, and 18 members of the cross country team earned All-Big Ten Academic status. The Big Ten academic awards for track and field will be announced later this month.

The track and field program partnered with the Ohio State University Black Alumni Society (OSUBAS) at this year’s Jesse Owens Track and Field Classic in efforts to collect hygiene products for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. In addition to the hygiene product drive, the Buckeyes regularly send student-athletes to participate with the 2nd & 7 Foundation to read books with elementary students throughout Columbus.

LBSU update?

Is there just no money put into distance there? Ohio usually produces top talent. Seems like some production on the distance side would have them in position for the team title. Either way good to see the Bucks investing in a staff long-term.

Peaks wrote:

Looks to me like their sports programs, except for men's soccer, are half-assed and a front for their basketball program.

....

Unfortunately, they'll go with option D--do nothing, and be happy with the status quo.

You just described the vast majority of mid-majors without football besides some notable exceptions like Iona, Providence & U of San Francisco...and I am suspicious that those admins still don't care that much...they just happened to have very good coaches/coaching staffs that made it work...a very rare & admirable thing to find.

And I stand corrected on Portland not caring about the javelin...bad example on my part! I'd still be shocked if KD leaving had ANYTHING to do with poor XC results...

Who would be possible Candidates to replace LSU -(Distance) and Florida (Distance)

Johnny Gray -UCF ?

Vanhoy - OLE MISS ?

Graham - UK?

Alleyne - A&M?

possible paul wrote:

Who would be possible Candidates to replace LSU -(Distance) and Florida (Distance)

Johnny Gray -UCF ?

Vanhoy - OLE MISS ?

Graham - UK?

Alleyne - A&M?

None of these

Think Northeast

Starchild wrote:

possible paul wrote:

Who would be possible Candidates to replace LSU -(Distance) and Florida (Distance)

Johnny Gray -UCF ?

Vanhoy - OLE MISS ?

Graham - UK?

Alleyne - A&M?

None of these

Lol I see somebody has taken to using the same handle as me. It's a sweet handle, I don't blame you.

LBSU Head coach Andy Sythe stays.... Another assistant distance coach at LBSU bolts for the door!

Someone from Maryland

I already called one of these, on page 36.

Starchild wrote:

Starchild wrote:

None of these

Lol I see somebody has taken to using the same handle as me. It's a sweet handle, I don't blame you.

Well you can't really call anyone out for using an anonymous name, as you can see I also used it. Thanks for using my name. Motor booty afair was a classic. Chocolate city baby.. put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip and come on to the mothership.

And you just registered the name lol

If you hear any noise, it's just me and the boys. Hit me, you gotta hit the band

Magness and Shaver hit it off and Magness has officially thrown his hat into the ring for the LSU job and is the front runner to get it. Today's reports have not helped his cause however.

He currently makes 43k (https://salaries.texastribune.org/university-of-houston/stephen-magness/1114175/) so this would be basically doubling his pay, a move only 4 hours away, and he would recruit the same area. Makes too much sense and LSU is on board.

Let me ask this question.

Is Magness really that accomplished of a coach? Can someone really list any major accomplishments?

He seems to excel at self-promotion and lack at really coaching athletes.

I listen to his podcast and hear him and the other guy turn their noses up at other coaches, but neither of them have done much at all.

Magness hasn't done much at Houston and he won't do much at LSU.

starchild. wrote:

Starchild wrote:

Lol I see somebody has taken to using the same handle as me. It's a sweet handle, I don't blame you.

Well you can't really call anyone out for using an anonymous name, as you can see I also used it. Thanks for using my name. Motor booty afair was a classic. Chocolate city baby.. put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip and come on to the mothership.

And you just registered the name lol

I'm not sure what your angle is but I hope your day gets better.

Starchild wrote:

starchild. wrote:

Well you can't really call anyone out for using an anonymous name, as you can see I also used it. Thanks for using my name. Motor booty afair was a classic. Chocolate city baby.. put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip and come on to the mothership.

And you just registered the name lol

I'm not sure what your angle is but I hope your day gets better.

Yabba dabba doozie bubba.... bootzillas here!

trumpoftrack wrote:

Let me ask this question.

Is Magness really that accomplished of a coach? Can someone really list any major accomplishments?

He seems to excel at self-promotion and lack at really coaching athletes.

I listen to his podcast and hear him and the other guy turn their noses up at other coaches, but neither of them have done much at all.

Magness hasn't done much at Houston and he won't do much at LSU.

On the pro scene, Magness probably has the best depth of long distance women. Magness just coached 1-2 at US half champs. Rogers just ran really fast at Oxy. Hall, Spence, and Crouch have all placed well at major marathons. On the pro side, it's hard to argue over his accomplishments.

At Houston, it's like LSU only worse with scholarships. I'd be surprised if he has even one to work with. Yet, he has the fastest college steepler in the NCAA. Plus he's had some good half milers throughout his time at Houston. Houston has and always will be a sprint school. Distance is an afterthought.

Coach Dennis has burned many bridges in Ohio and unlike Robert Gary, who seemed to focus exclusively on Ohio distance kids, has put very little focus ($$ attention) on Ohio distance females. You might do decently in the Big Ten by focusing nearly exclusively on sprints/hurdles/relays, but it will be tough to be legit on national scene with that strategy unless you're as good as Florida, TAMU, and LSU. Good investment? Depends on your perspective.

Stumped Buck wrote:

Is there just no money put into distance there? Ohio usually produces top talent. Seems like some production on the distance side would have them in position for the team title. Either way good to see the Bucks investing in a staff long-term.