2014 College Track and Field Open Coaching Positions Discussion

To What!

I am also a Division I coach and have been a head coach for a long time. Hired maybe 9-10 assistants. You stated it exactly as I believe. What has frustrated me is that when I have come on this site and attempted to help young folks understand what it takes to get into the profession, most often it is met with negative BS. Anyone who wants to get into college coaching should read what you wrote and paste it on their wall and review every day.

I'm a young coach (I consider under 5yrs in the biz young) and I totally agree with what's been said by the two coaches before. It's not rocket science, certain coaches are better fits than others and the fit is determined by skills, personality and ability to do what is needed/asked of you. One of the toughest thing for a young coach is building contacts and credibility with such low exposure. Bottom line- authentic good guys/gals are going to get their shot eventually if they stay hungry and keep at it, in the meantime don't be a complainer.

To my knowledge LBST has not conducted an interview yet. Heard they were going to make an emergency hire a couple weeks ago, then they slowed their roll to assure they were getting the right person in there.

I'd assume they will give some phone calls this week and open and shut applications quickly as this will likely be a slam dunk hire.

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Not sure if the Long Beach State job is a slam dunk hire or not. Seems like the two front runners are complete opposites. Coach Sythe could decide to hire the younger hungry candidate with some upside potential. Or he could hire the veteran guy with a good record and solid experience. You never know what people are thinking. If Long Beach State was a slam dunk hire, it would have been completed by now.

so Saretsky at Harvard hires Wales-Dinan from Long Beach State even while interviewing and doing an on-campus interview at West Point, which I'm sure WD didn't know about. wonder what this means for WD if Saretsky gets the job.

"coaches don't recruit athletes based on times alone"

That should read....

"coaches SHOULDN'T recruit athletes based on times alone"

Since afterall I would love to believe that most coaches especially at the bigger more prestigious institutions ARE looking to develop athletes, it wouldnt be realistic to give them that type of credit.

I currently coach on the d1 level but am still active with youth clubs, so I still have to deal with athletes I coach being recruited. And from the last two years alone, I can say without a doubt that recruiting based on times alone happens far more often than not. There obviously are coaches who don't but in general I think you're giving them too much credit.

Deacon wrote:

"coaches don't recruit athletes based on times alone"

That should read....

"coaches SHOULDN'T recruit athletes based on times alone"

Since afterall I would love to believe that most coaches especially at the bigger more prestigious institutions ARE looking to develop athletes, it wouldnt be realistic to give them that type of credit.

I currently coach on the d1 level but am still active with youth clubs, so I still have to deal with athletes I coach being recruited. And from the last two years alone, I can say without a doubt that recruiting based on times alone happens far more often than not. There obviously are coaches who don't but in general I think you're giving them too much credit.

Then what else should you recruit based on?

Leadership, a skill you really can't identify in an individual sport?

Character/Maturity, a trait young people are good at faking?

Size/Build, where you pick athletes who look like good athletes but maybe aren't?

Potential, so that you can get fired when they don't achieve at your level?

Give me some concrete non-numbers people should be recruiting?

Patiently waiting wrote:[/

Not sure if the Long Beach State job is a slam dunk hire or not. Seems like the two front runners are complete opposites. Coach Sythe could decide to hire the younger hungry candidate with some upside potential. Or he could hire the veteran guy with a good record and solid experience. You never know what people are thinking. If Long Beach State was a slam dunk hire, it would have been completed by now.

You seem to be in the know. So feel free to let us in on a lil teaser about the two candidates. All we know is one is young. And the other experienced?

While I agree on the most basic level, I don't think your post addresses the issue of integrity. Building relationships is in no way a bad thing obviously. But rubbing shoulders with the right people on a superficial level simply to have an advantage is in no way an admirable or honorable way of achieving success. despite the fact that I haven't yet been wronged in the way that some of the other coaches have described, i've actually seen it happen.

Because you had a beer with the coach at -insert major school- during the coaches convention, you now have built a relationship? How often does the relationship between coaches actually involve any genuine knowledge of each person? 3 years ago, getting referred by Bev Kearney might have been a big deal but now, maybe not so much.

Being connected doesn't require the same skill that it takes to be among the best at your craft. I've avoided working with multiple people that i've known for YEARS because I knew they weren't as skilled for a position as they should be. So regardless if its a close friend or not, I don't think that should give them an upper hand when the goal is building the best possible program.

Teaser??? wrote:

Patiently waiting wrote:[/

Not sure if the Long Beach State job is a slam dunk hire or not. Seems like the two front runners are complete opposites. Coach Sythe could decide to hire the younger hungry candidate with some upside potential. Or he could hire the veteran guy with a good record and solid experience. You never know what people are thinking. If Long Beach State was a slam dunk hire, it would have been completed by now.

You seem to be in the know. So feel free to let us in on a lil teaser about the two candidates. All we know is one is young. And the other experienced?

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My buddy runs at Long Beach State. And he told me yesterday that the head track coach is taking his time picking a distance coach. The first day of school is today, and they are doing the previous coach's workouts until September 1st. When someone asks about a new coach, he says there is no hurry in firing anyone right away.

This info is in conflict with the people saying that the Long Beach State distance job has been narrowed to two people.

Any word on Nebraska throws?

You are going to hire the person you feel you can trust and that is going to get it done in your system period!!!! End of story....

Author: runner up

Subject: RE: 2014 College Track and Field Open Coaching Positions Discussion

Message:

Disappointed wrote:

I am shocked that they would hire Floeck over McCurry. McCurry could have been one of those hires that takes a program to unprecedented heights. With the VERY limited resources that he is provided at his current school, he really has done quite a bit.

From my understanding, more than a few runners at Idaho were excited about the possibility of getting McCurry as the distance couch.

McCurry want even the second choice. FYI

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why don't you two exchange phone numbers so we don't have to listen to your dialogue?

HOW ABOUT HIRING BASED ON COMPETENCE!!!!

Folks, I am embarrassed being in this profession! Just as in any profession that requires scientific knowledge base, athletics in general, track & field in particular requires knowledge in anatomy, physiology, human development, teaching methods, mental training and so on. There is NO policy in place that requires a coach to actually pass an exam in order to get a coaching job in U.S. In most advanced and even undeveloped countries, you don't even get to interview for a coaching job unless you pass that proficiency exam in that particular sport you're coaching. I'm truly amazed of how some coaches get the privilege to mentor, tap into human performance through track & field when they don't even understand how the human body works, or have some general anatomy and physiology knowledge. It's like hiring people to build ships without knowing general principles of floating...but that person won't backstab you. Ridiculous!!!!

+1

Any updates on who was hired at Cal Fullerton, Cal Northridge, or who is being interviewed for UC Riverside?

This is all well and good...but the way NCAA DI athletics have been set up, recruiting is far more important than "coaching" or developing. The better recruiter (whatever the reason - due to name of school, amount of resources, whatever) is going to beat the better coach far more often than not. If we're talking head coaches/directors, the better manager of people is going to beat the better coach more often than not. There is less reward involved for someone focusing their efforts on human performance in this system. If you can develop young runners as well - hey, that's great icing on the cake(and yes, I would agree, makes for the best "coach")! But this alone will get you no where in this system.

Doesn't necessarily make it right, but that's the system we've set up. Hence...a focus on skills other than human performance. Other "advanced and even undeveloped countries" have completely different systems...that probably do reward more of a focus on "anatomy, physiology, human development, teaching methods, mental training and so on." May be more of the system we are heading towards if the Big 5 start paying revenue athletes...

Joe Lynn to Hillsdale. Why would you hire this guy after his problems and release from Mizzou?

http://www.hillsdalechargers.com/sports/mtrack/coaches/joelynn

intheknowhoe wrote:

Joe Lynn to Hillsdale. Why would you hire this guy after his problems and release from Mizzou?

http://www.hillsdalechargers.com/sports/mtrack/coaches/joelynn

You hire him because he is a good coach,( glad to to see him get back so soon), and he did NO, I repeat NO WRONG at MIZZOU.

What was he "charged" with then? Hypothetically why he was he forced out.