RIP: Coach Joe Vigil - Another One of the Greats Is Gone

I ran into Coach Vigil about 5 years ago one morning at our hotel in Eugene at the OTs - we proceeded to have coffee together and talk track for over an hour. What a wonderful, insightful, HUMBLE, kind man. And When I sent him a check for his book, he mailed me a copy plus $2 saying I over paid him. Rest in Peace Coach V.

You weren't alive in 1984?

That was beautiful, thank you for sharing. Love how you kept both the note and money in the book.

When your time comes and someone else receives this book, it will be special.

If you did not get along with Dr. Joe Vigil, thst's a "you" problem. There were very few people he didn't get along with, all of whom were bad in character.

I meet Coach Vigil several times at coaching conferences and then when I had a elite runner I coach move to altitude for the first time, Coach Vigil graciously spent a hour on the phone with me walking me through the adjustments needed for altitude in their training, timing considerations when coming down from altitude to race at sea level, and much more.

He was always encouraging and giving with his time and knowledge. A true gem in the sport and great example for all coaches.

R.I.P. Coach

RIP Coach

I met y once. USATF Cross was at Van Courtlandt Park. My 15 year old daughter and I were standing at the end of the chute and stood next to us.

My daughter and I were talking about her high school team that I coached.

He looked at me and asked - Do you coach high school?

I said yes and he asked me for advice!

I said- YOU'RE asking ME for advice?

He said- I've never coached high school kids.

What's it like?

We talked a bit.

Then he asked my daughter if she wanted Deena's autograph and he tore a piece of paper, gave it to me and said, give me your address.

He put it in his pocket.

A couple days later an autograph poster of Deena Kastor arrived!

20 years later my daughter still has that poster.

He was one of the major influences on my coach Joe Newton's career.

I got to know Joe a bit starting in 2000 when he began coaching Deena. IIRC he was not really that keen on coaching her but she basically moved to Alamosa and gave him no choice. (I am willing to concede that might be an exaggeration.) Deena would come to the USOC lab for testing in the early 2000s and we would chat with Joe as we were readying her or she was warming up. He would tell stories about his early days learning sport science and the days leading up to the 68 Games.

One of the things that really impressed me was that while he used science as an underpinning for his training, his greater strength was developing the relationship with the athlete as a person. Some science-y coaches get too "science-y" and think only about lactate or heart rate. Joe recognize that there was a person there and that people change.

I think it was Deena (might have been another of his athletes) that would say every morning he did a check in to see how you were. Depending on the answer he might adjust the training for that day. It could be as extreme as "hey just go easy for an hour today" if the session were a hard one or "cut the intervals by 20% today". (Maybe there were times he made them harder but I never heard those incidents.)

As many others have noted, he was willing to talk to anyone and give his time.

RIP Coach.

I was very fortunate to have competed for Adams in the late 70's and just want to add a couple of things that haven't been said here. First, although he is primarily known as a distance running coach, Coach Vigil could and did coach every event. He did not have an assistant coach, yet my teammates on that little NAIA team included a 7 foot high jumper, a 64 foot shot putter (one of the very first first ever spin throwers), a 50 foot triple jumper, two sub 10.20 sprinters, and two 7000 point decathletes, in addition to a young Pat Porter. Second, Coach did sincerely attempt to teach life lessons through Track and Field - he tirelessly lectured us on being accountable in our roles as teammates, students, citizens, and family members, and taught us that as long as you aim high enough, even if you fail to reach that goal, you end up higher than if you don't go for it at all. I think that's why Pat Melgares' biography of Coach is aptly titled "Chasing Excellence."

RIP to a legend.

Over 50 years ago Coach Vigil graciously let me run with his team when I was in town one Sept.

I remember doing 6+ times a mile on grass/gravel in a local park one day, and 8-10 times a half mile in the same park another day. These were with shortish interval rest jogs (90 sec or maybe 2 min for the miles).

I did the miles averaging about 5 min flat pace. I was in the slowest of three groups. There were at least 20 guys in my and the two other groups running these miles faster than me (some much faster) This included his college team and other runners such as Pat Porter.

It was very impressive that there was such a large collection of fast runners cranking out quick intervals at 7500 feet in a little park in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere in Colorado.

They were all there because of Joe Vigil.

They were there to train for running, but for much more than that.

Each day's practice would begin with Coach Vigil delivering a 30+ minute talk indoors. This was a combination of educational lecture, pep talk and sermon like message.

The talk was one of many aspects of Joe Vigil's greatness.

He was an outstanding coach that helped people with running, but a better person that helped people with life.

Coach Vigil Basic Clinic opener that sets the tone, eliminates egos and opens ears/minds of those that want to learn.

1. Genetics: Can't control.

2. Environment: Can't always control but can do the best with what you have.

3. Coaching: Can and should always expect/find ways to improve.

4. Motivation: Can control as an athlete and as a coach together.

He was a teacher first, also a scientist in the white lab coat and his athletes were willing lab rats that had faith in his methods because of their relationships. What else could you ask for? The results spoke for themselves in every way. He was the trunk of the tree that bore much fruit.

One of the greats, no question.

I wish his book had relayed his training philosophy better. I couldn't make head or tail out of most of it.