Good catch. This is totally wishful thinking on my part, but I'm hoping Mallard no longer being listing as a USC coach means one thing: Nike has hired him to lead a new pro training group built around Athing Mu-Nikolayev!
That's the first thing that came to my mind, but I'm not sure Mu would switch coaches right before USAs or right before the World Championships if she makes the team.
On the other hand, what college job opening is there that is so good it would make Mallard want to leave USC?
Agreed. That's why I prefaced my comment with saying it was wishful thinking rather than a prediction. I wouldn't expect Athing to make change this close to the US championships. On the other hand, it's not a totally crazy idea. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Look at the Denver Nuggets. They fired their head coach (who had previously led the team to a championship) with only three games remaining in the season, after they lost four games in a row and looked like they were going nowhere. It turned out to be a good move. They won those last three games of the regular season, then beat a tough Clippers team in the first round of the playoffs, then took the eventual champion Thunder to seven games in the second round.
All that said, I'll reserve any further comments about Athing for threads that are about her. The focus of this thread should be on USC and Brenda Martinez. I'm very happy for her!
Don’t know how good Brenda Martinez is as a coach but she was an absolute delight to watch compete. Fearless against some of the biggest dopers and intersex athletes.
Wish her career hadn’t ended in injury.
I agree, she was one of my favorites. I loved the grit and determination she showed by making the 2016 US Olympic team in the 1500m after she had been tripped in the 800m.
The USC announcement states this about her coaching experience:
Martinez brings a wealth of experience as a professional athlete and coach into this role as the Assistant Coach for Distance and Cross Country. On the coaching side, Martinez created the Big Bear Track Club back in 2014. Through this group, she developed post-collegiate athletes into world-class runners. Some of the athletes she worked with through this organization included 2016 Olympian and World Champion Boris Berian, World Indoor qualifier Jenna Westaway, USATF Indoor finalist Olicia Williams, and two-time Olympic Trials qualifier Dusty Solis.
I never knew that about her. Impressive stuff. Wishing her well at USC!
Breaking news? I think the NYT and a few other major publications have killed the importance of the announcement of "breaking news."
Should be reserved for something unique and momentous. This is not breaking news really, but interesting news or something....but....good for her, great athlete and human.
Your level of "writing" for a pseudo publication is part and parcel of the rapid dumbing down of journalism.
Don’t know how good Brenda Martinez is as a coach but she was an absolute delight to watch compete. Fearless against some of the biggest dopers and intersex athletes.
Wish her career hadn’t ended in injury.
What intersex athletes did she have to compete against? Didn't know that.
Don’t know how good Brenda Martinez is as a coach but she was an absolute delight to watch compete. Fearless against some of the biggest dopers and intersex athletes.
Wish her career hadn’t ended in injury.
I agree, she was one of my favorites. I loved the grit and determination she showed by making the 2016 US Olympic team in the 1500m after she had been tripped in the 800m.
The USC announcement states this about her coaching experience:
Martinez brings a wealth of experience as a professional athlete and coach into this role as the Assistant Coach for Distance and Cross Country. On the coaching side, Martinez created the Big Bear Track Club back in 2014. Through this group, she developed post-collegiate athletes into world-class runners.
Some of the athletes she worked with through this organization included 2016 Olympian and World Champion Boris Berian, World Indoor qualifier Jenna Westaway, USATF Indoor finalist Olicia Williams, and two-time Olympic Trials qualifier Dusty Solis.
I never knew that about her. Impressive stuff. Wishing her well at USC!
Brenda "worked with" those athletes but I don't think she was their coach. I think they were more like teammates.
I agree, she was one of my favorites. I loved the grit and determination she showed by making the 2016 US Olympic team in the 1500m after she had been tripped in the 800m.
The USC announcement states this about her coaching experience:
Martinez brings a wealth of experience as a professional athlete and coach into this role as the Assistant Coach for Distance and Cross Country. On the coaching side, Martinez created the Big Bear Track Club back in 2014. Through this group, she developed post-collegiate athletes into world-class runners.
Some of the athletes she worked with through this organization included 2016 Olympian and World Champion Boris Berian, World Indoor qualifier Jenna Westaway, USATF Indoor finalist Olicia Williams, and two-time Olympic Trials qualifier Dusty Solis.
I never knew that about her. Impressive stuff. Wishing her well at USC!
Brenda "worked with" those athletes but I don't think she was their coach. I think they were more like teammates.
Agree. I don’t think she was coaching them while she was on the Olympic team.
USC distance is not funded to the level that you would expect from a P4 institution. The distance kids are all walk-on students that would be lucky enough to make their high school varsity team.
If you look at all the kids that are on the roster at USC. They would be close to or PR in their respected events. With little of no effort you can find results and performances from the student/athletes.
And if you ask prior distance coaches on how distance is treated at USC. You can figure things out. Distance is not a priority.
USC is a sprint/jumps power based program. and nothing will change. Great success for the incoming coach.
Obviously accomplished in her day, but a 800/1500m specialist might not be the best choice for XC. Then again, USC could use just about anyone at this point.