If he leaves to start a pro group under Nike, will he continue to coach Nico who just signed a pro contract with Adidas? Hopefully, he's able to negotiate to still coach his non-Nike sponsored pros like Nico and Luis.
If he leaves to start a pro group under Nike, will he continue to coach Nico who just signed a pro contract with Adidas? Hopefully, he's able to negotiate to still coach his non-Nike sponsored pros like Nico and Luis.
I agree. I think Nike's plan is to shut down Bowerman and have Jerry just coach college runners and send the pro runners to a different coach.
However, it should now painfully clear to all sponsors of professional distance teams that living and training at altitude year-around is pretty much required to reach your best if you race the Steeplechase on up to the marathon. 800 & 1500 runners can live at sea level while attending altitude camps 2 - 3 times/year. However, for long distance runners, full time at altitude is optimal.
Does the reigning 3x global 5000m champ and 3000m/2mile WR holder train "full time at altitude"?
Ben Thomas is a much better investment, you are right.
Smith's group really underperformed this year (except for Nico).
The coaches that helped male athletes win medals and top ten finishes 1500 m up to marathon at this years Paris Olympics:
1500 m Gold: Ben Thomas (Nike affiliated? But screwed over by Nike)
1500 m Bronze: Dathan Ritzenheim (On )
5,000 m and 10,000 m double Bronze: Mike Scannell (Nike affiliated?)
Marathon double top 10: Ed Eyestone (Nike affiliated through sponsored University but is he Nike affiliated as a pro coach?)
If there is truth behind the rumors it begs the question about what Nike is doing? Why would any of the Nike athletes who are having success with their current coaches get involved with Mike Smith? Does Nike even have contracts with the coaches of the athletes that produced medals for Nike?
Mike Smiths star athletes Nico Young and Louis Gravalah (sorry about my spelling) are Addidas and Hoka athletes. Abdi Nur and Woody Kincaid are Nike athletes.
Nike did nothing except kick the can down the road for the past two plus years with Jerry Schumacher and BTC. Surely the athletes were voicing their concerns long ago to Nike after Jerry Schumacher screwed them over for his own self gain. The athletes that left BTC have excelled. Kincaid, Cranny, Fisher. Those that stayed or signed on to BTC (except for Mo Ahmed who continues to do well) went down hill. Why would those that didn’t get support from Nike now want to be involved in a new Nike led group?
I don't think Nike is doing this to try and attract current pros, this is a way for them to be competitive when recruiting new pros (like Parker Valby). Obviously the Nike brand and money is a big draw but if you're a distance runner, you'd be an idiot to not want to train at altitude (I know Cole lives in Virginia but he still did at least one altitude stint according to Kenneth Rooks) and Nike is the only big brand that doesn't have a formal group based at altitude.
However, it should now painfully clear to all sponsors of professional distance teams that living and training at altitude year-around is pretty much required to reach your best if you race the Steeplechase on up to the marathon. 800 & 1500 runners can live at sea level while attending altitude camps 2 - 3 times/year. However, for long distance runners, full time at altitude is optimal.
Does the reigning 3x global 5000m champ and 3000m/2mile WR holder train "full time at altitude"?
He's not at altitude full time but he spends quite a bit of time at altitude. He's in Flagstaff a lot and was even in St. Moritz while his wife was about to give birth so I think Jakob would agree that spending as much time at altitude as possible is pretty important.
It has been mentioned that he can grandfather in current athletes.
Could this be Nike’s first steps to moving on with Bowerman? I could imagine their athletes would want to get up in Flagstaff compared to Eugene.
Bowerman will be shut down. That's been Nike's plan all along ever since they wanted Jerry to coach in college. There was no way Jerry was going to be able to do both long term.
It has been mentioned that he can grandfather in current athletes.
Could this be Nike’s first steps to moving on with Bowerman? I could imagine their athletes would want to get up in Flagstaff compared to Eugene.
Bowerman will be shut down. That's been Nike's plan all along ever since they wanted Jerry to coach in college. There was no way Jerry was going to be able to do both long term.
I respect Smith announcing this right now. Gives current NAU athletes an opportunity to explore potential transfer options over the course of the year and gives prospective recruits an opportunity to see if NAU is still the place for them or if Cornfield is the coach they want to run for
saw the UNC women's soccer coach retired a couple weeks ago like two days before the season started and thought that was a pretty self-centered move. Granted not too many kids would probably want to leave Chapel Hill and the UNC program, but that was a decision that should have been made sooner
in a field dominated by self-centered people, Smith letting this whole year play out with the news out there seems like it serves the best interests of the current and future athletes. Which seems right in line with the way I've seen him treat people over his time here in Flagstaff
also, just saw Colin Sahlman walking around in HOKA gear. Is he signed to an NIL deal with them?
remember in 2008… there was a college coach that ALSO had the best pros. It was a wild time. Then this dude starts a Nike group and LEAVES his college team taking the best with him.
then next ten years is awesome, medals, records, stacks of US titles.
Does the reigning 3x global 5000m champ and 3000m/2mile WR holder train "full time at altitude"?
He's not at altitude full time but he spends quite a bit of time at altitude. He's in Flagstaff a lot and was even in St. Moritz while his wife was about to give birth so I think Jakob would agree that spending as much time at altitude as possible is pretty important.
But going back to the point Tyrone was responding to, he doesn't live at altitude, which would refute the claim that you need to live at altitude to compete at those distances.