Thank you for linking this article, but why is Sarah Lorge-Butler getting these scoops and not Jonathan Gault?
The whole point of letsrun.com is that we spend A LOT of time aggregating the best running journalism from all over the world and putting it on the homepage which is by far the most popular page on LetsRun. There is no way one entity can produce everything.
Last time I checked, Sarah isn't doing two podcasts a week like Jonathan.
But in this case, he's been extremely busy working on a feature on what the hell is going on in the men's 800 right now and interviewing coaches and experts from all over the world. In the article, he will break the news of Project 99 - the attempt at the first sub-140 800 in history.
A feature story like that takes A LOT of time and resources- infinitely more than a simple Q&A. It's a shame you may not be able to read it as I may make it SC only. It certainly will be behind the SC paywall at some point.
The homepage is the most popular page? No way. Wonder how that is.
Mike Smith cares so much that he’s going to not focus on his Pro athletes for another year. And make a strange announcement that he’s going to be a new Nike coach, BUT he’s going to stay one more year at a ADIDAS school, BUT he can still coach non Nike athletes as Nike pays me.
Mike Smith must know Phil Knight to bend Nike over like that. WOW Nike has such a smart group make their decisions.
Mike Smith cares so much that he’s going to not focus on his Pro athletes for another year. And make a strange announcement that he’s going to be a new Nike coach, BUT he’s going to stay one more year at a ADIDAS school, BUT he can still coach non Nike athletes as Nike pays me.
Mike Smith must know Phil Knight to bend Nike over like that. WOW Nike has such a smart group make their decisions.
Something is off with this new “Nike Group”
I bet something changes before this becomes official
I LOVED LOVED the interview and just featured it as QOD and started three threads that were in there.
There was one thing I did disagree with entirely however and that was his talk about how he is choosing the harder thing to be a pro coach.
At the same time, I want to be someone that challenges themselves. And I asked myself, “What would I tell my athletes?” I’m constantly have meetings in my office, encouraging people to step toward the harder thing. And I think I could have stayed in college coaching a long time, and that’s for sure the easiest option for me. We’ve [had] a lot of success. I feel really comfortable in my position, and this is a whole new challenge for me, so trying to kind of take my own medicine as a coach of stepping toward what’s harder.
I TOTALLY disagree. Being a pro coach is MILES and MILES easier than being an NCAA coach. I read this morning that Nick Saban did something recruiting related every single day of the year including XMAS. As a pro coach, particularly based in Flagstaff for Nike, he'll almost have none of that and he'll likely get a pay raise.
He doesn't have to hang out all day at some horrible indoor meet at NAU in January while his 18th best guy runs the third heat of the 5k. He doesn't even need to go to his pros early season meets at all. They are adults - send them on the plane and watch it on tv.
Now, if his goal is to be as dominant of a pro coach as a college coach, then yeah that's harder but that's not going to happen. Well I take that back. If Nike starts sending their top athletes from Ethiopia/Kenya/Uganda to Flagstaff to train under him, then I think he can have Salazar type success.
I disagree.
As the saying goes, "It's not hard work if you love what you do".
Mike is a competitor, and I think his athletes reflect that. He's got the NAU program running like a freight train. No real recruiting necessary, just vetting out athletes who fit the program best for its continued success. The process is mapped out, the workouts are dialed in. It's just a matter of lather up, rinse, and repeat. He literally can sit back and enjoy the ride at NAU for 20 more years, BUT...that's not who Mike Smith is. Any great athlete and or coach is always pushing the envelope to be better. Mike is venturing into a new arena and challenging himself to be a successful coach at the world class level. It's the "logical" next step for him. He doesn't have to relocate, he'll get a nice pay bump, and he will have a truly vested interest in who he coaches and how. No one breathing down his back, no school administration bullsh^t to deal with. He literally will be his own boss and the run the show as he sees fit. Now, that being said, he will take on a more personal liability with the relationships of his athletes. Both as a coach, mentor, and friend. The college kids come and go, and after 4 years most are gone and forgotten. With pro athletes you're WAY MORE invested on a personal level, and being a coach is truly a year around endeavor. You travel with your athlete's, when possible, you don't just send them on a plane and watch it on tv. Your job has become a huge mental undertaking, it's not so much the training plan, but also communication with a world class athlete and collaborating with them instead of telling them what to do. This is an entirely different coaching skill set, and YES, I believe Mike has the skill set to be very successful.
You may think it's "Miles and Miles" easier than an NCAA coach, but it's not. The stakes are MUCH higher.
I LOVED LOVED the interview and just featured it as QOD and started three threads that were in there.
There was one thing I did disagree with entirely however and that was his talk about how he is choosing the harder thing to be a pro coach.
At the same time, I want to be someone that challenges themselves. And I asked myself, “What would I tell my athletes?” I’m constantly have meetings in my office, encouraging people to step toward the harder thing. And I think I could have stayed in college coaching a long time, and that’s for sure the easiest option for me. We’ve [had] a lot of success. I feel really comfortable in my position, and this is a whole new challenge for me, so trying to kind of take my own medicine as a coach of stepping toward what’s harder.
I TOTALLY disagree. Being a pro coach is MILES and MILES easier than being an NCAA coach. I read this morning that Nick Saban did something recruiting related every single day of the year including XMAS. As a pro coach, particularly based in Flagstaff for Nike, he'll almost have none of that and he'll likely get a pay raise.
He doesn't have to hang out all day at some horrible indoor meet at NAU in January while his 18th best guy runs the third heat of the 5k. He doesn't even need to go to his pros early season meets at all. They are adults - send them on the plane and watch it on tv.
Now, if his goal is to be as dominant of a pro coach as a college coach, then yeah that's harder but that's not going to happen. Well I take that back. If Nike starts sending their top athletes from Ethiopia/Kenya/Uganda to Flagstaff to train under him, then I think he can have Salazar type success.
I disagree.
As the saying goes, "It's not hard work if you love what you do".
Mike is a competitor, and I think his athletes reflect that. He's got the NAU program running like a freight train. No real recruiting necessary, just vetting out athletes who fit the program best for its continued success. The process is mapped out, the workouts are dialed in. It's just a matter of lather up, rinse, and repeat. He literally can sit back and enjoy the ride at NAU for 20 more years, BUT...that's not who Mike Smith is. Any great athlete and or coach is always pushing the envelope to be better. Mike is venturing into a new arena and challenging himself to be a successful coach at the world class level. It's the "logical" next step for him. He doesn't have to relocate, he'll get a nice pay bump, and he will have a truly vested interest in who he coaches and how. No one breathing down his back, no school administration bullsh^t to deal with. He literally will be his own boss and the run the show as he sees fit. Now, that being said, he will take on a more personal liability with the relationships of his athletes. Both as a coach, mentor, and friend. The college kids come and go, and after 4 years most are gone and forgotten. With pro athletes you're WAY MORE invested on a personal level, and being a coach is truly a year around endeavor. You travel with your athlete's, when possible, you don't just send them on a plane and watch it on tv. Your job has become a huge mental undertaking, it's not so much the training plan, but also communication with a world class athlete and collaborating with them instead of telling them what to do. This is an entirely different coaching skill set, and YES, I believe Mike has the skill set to be very successful.
You may think it's "Miles and Miles" easier than an NCAA coach, but it's not. The stakes are MUCH higher.
I largely agree with this Aouita 84, it's not easier as a whole. Some aspects are but other aspects are more challenging and the stakes are much higher. You think Mike is upset at being at "some horrible meet at NAU in January"? Absolutely not, he's a great coach who cares about all of his athletes. He's likely going to add significant international travel despite not having a US based meet most weekends from September to June. He's still going to be involved in recruiting, although it'll be different, he's still going to care about how people gel together. I get the point of Rojo's post, the grind of an NCAA coach is a grind but acting like being a pro coach is some "relaxed" enterprise way easier than collegiate coaching is incorrect. Finally, you don't think Nike wants to get him some of the best athletes after how poor their US based groups have been doing in the last few years?
I talked to one of my old professors at NAU who told me Mike Smith will remain an unofficial 'consultant' for NAU - his door will remain open for any athlete that needs to talk and he might show up at some NAU practices and help out. this was a huge deal for him taking the Nike job, that he gets to stay in Flagstaff and maintain relationships with his players.
one other thing he mentioned is a rumor going around about Nike building an indoor track facility in Flagstaff - clearly they see the benefits of altitude training and are gonna go all in.
I LOVED LOVED the interview and just featured it as QOD and started three threads that were in there.
There was one thing I did disagree with entirely however and that was his talk about how he is choosing the harder thing to be a pro coach.
At the same time, I want to be someone that challenges themselves. And I asked myself, “What would I tell my athletes?” I’m constantly have meetings in my office, encouraging people to step toward the harder thing. And I think I could have stayed in college coaching a long time, and that’s for sure the easiest option for me. We’ve [had] a lot of success. I feel really comfortable in my position, and this is a whole new challenge for me, so trying to kind of take my own medicine as a coach of stepping toward what’s harder.
I TOTALLY disagree. Being a pro coach is MILES and MILES easier than being an NCAA coach. I read this morning that Nick Saban did something recruiting related every single day of the year including XMAS. As a pro coach, particularly based in Flagstaff for Nike, he'll almost have none of that and he'll likely get a pay raise.
He doesn't have to hang out all day at some horrible indoor meet at NAU in January while his 18th best guy runs the third heat of the 5k. He doesn't even need to go to his pros early season meets at all. They are adults - send them on the plane and watch it on tv.
Now, if his goal is to be as dominant of a pro coach as a college coach, then yeah that's harder but that's not going to happen. Well I take that back. If Nike starts sending their top athletes from Ethiopia/Kenya/Uganda to Flagstaff to train under him, then I think he can have Salazar type success.
I disagree.
As the saying goes, "It's not hard work if you love what you do".
Mike is a competitor, and I think his athletes reflect that. He's got the NAU program running like a freight train. No real recruiting necessary, just vetting out athletes who fit the program best for its continued success. The process is mapped out, the workouts are dialed in. It's just a matter of lather up, rinse, and repeat. He literally can sit back and enjoy the ride at NAU for 20 more years, BUT...that's not who Mike Smith is. Any great athlete and or coach is always pushing the envelope to be better. Mike is venturing into a new arena and challenging himself to be a successful coach at the world class level. It's the "logical" next step for him. He doesn't have to relocate, he'll get a nice pay bump, and he will have a truly vested interest in who he coaches and how. No one breathing down his back, no school administration bullsh^t to deal with. He literally will be his own boss and the run the show as he sees fit. Now, that being said, he will take on a more personal liability with the relationships of his athletes. Both as a coach, mentor, and friend. The college kids come and go, and after 4 years most are gone and forgotten. With pro athletes you're WAY MORE invested on a personal level, and being a coach is truly a year around endeavor. You travel with your athlete's, when possible, you don't just send them on a plane and watch it on tv. Your job has become a huge mental undertaking, it's not so much the training plan, but also communication with a world class athlete and collaborating with them instead of telling them what to do. This is an entirely different coaching skill set, and YES, I believe Mike has the skill set to be very successful.
You may think it's "Miles and Miles" easier than an NCAA coach, but it's not. The stakes are MUCH higher.
Whether it's harder or not, perhaps he weighed the time commitment and hours spent away from his family. Are the hours longer as a college coach? Are the demand of attending meets more as a college coach? It seems that he might want to spend more time with his young kid and wife.
As the saying goes, "It's not hard work if you love what you do".
Mike is a competitor, and I think his athletes reflect that. He's got the NAU program running like a freight train. No real recruiting necessary, just vetting out athletes who fit the program best for its continued success. The process is mapped out, the workouts are dialed in. It's just a matter of lather up, rinse, and repeat. He literally can sit back and enjoy the ride at NAU for 20 more years, BUT...that's not who Mike Smith is. Any great athlete and or coach is always pushing the envelope to be better. Mike is venturing into a new arena and challenging himself to be a successful coach at the world class level. It's the "logical" next step for him. He doesn't have to relocate, he'll get a nice pay bump, and he will have a truly vested interest in who he coaches and how. No one breathing down his back, no school administration bullsh^t to deal with. He literally will be his own boss and the run the show as he sees fit. Now, that being said, he will take on a more personal liability with the relationships of his athletes. Both as a coach, mentor, and friend. The college kids come and go, and after 4 years most are gone and forgotten. With pro athletes you're WAY MORE invested on a personal level, and being a coach is truly a year around endeavor. You travel with your athlete's, when possible, you don't just send them on a plane and watch it on tv. Your job has become a huge mental undertaking, it's not so much the training plan, but also communication with a world class athlete and collaborating with them instead of telling them what to do. This is an entirely different coaching skill set, and YES, I believe Mike has the skill set to be very successful.
You may think it's "Miles and Miles" easier than an NCAA coach, but it's not. The stakes are MUCH higher.
Whether it's harder or not, perhaps he weighed the time commitment and hours spent away from his family. Are the hours longer as a college coach? Are the demand of attending meets more as a college coach? It seems that he might want to spend more time with his young kid and wife.
This Nike group is a year away. Who knows what will really happen zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Whether it's harder or not, perhaps he weighed the time commitment and hours spent away from his family. Are the hours longer as a college coach? Are the demand of attending meets more as a college coach? It seems that he might want to spend more time with his young kid and wife.
This Nike group is a year away. Who knows what will really happen zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Totally. When is Adidas starting a real Adidas group. Nike makes no sense in Flagstaff
This Nike group is a year away. Who knows what will really happen zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Totally. When is Adidas starting a real Adidas group. Nike makes no sense in Flagstaff
I've always wondered that too. they sponsor one of the best running colleges and coaches ever, in a location pro runners from all over the world travel to to train. it's all right there for the taking. big missed opportunity for them.
I TOTALLY disagree. Being a pro coach is MILES and MILES easier than being an NCAA coach. I read this morning that Nick Saban did something recruiting related every single day of the year including XMAS. As a pro coach, particularly based in Flagstaff for Nike, he'll almost have none of that and he'll likely get a pay raise.
He doesn't have to hang out all day at some horrible indoor meet at NAU in January while his 18th best guy runs the third heat of the 5k. He doesn't even need to go to his pros early season meets at all. They are adults - send them on the plane and watch it on tv.
Now, if his goal is to be as dominant of a pro coach as a college coach, then yeah that's harder but that's not going to happen. Well I take that back. If Nike starts sending their top athletes from Ethiopia/Kenya/Uganda to Flagstaff to train under him, then I think he can have Salazar type success.
If you haven’t been a pro coach then you can’t speak to the pressures that they have. Here are many major differences…I’ll just highlight three:
1.) Pro athletes are professionals. They make their living from running. This is very different from collegiate athletes, esp at an Ivy League school. The pressure to perform at the highest level on both one given day & across a yearly cycles are very challenging. & to do so with multiple athletes targeting different events, national & sponsor requirements, etc. is extremely challenging. The level that Mike will be working at is very high. Medals at World Championships & Olympic hardware will be the minimum expectation of both his athletes & their sponsors. This goes way beyond time commitment; its expertise & an art. It’s not just making calls & working the portal.
2.) Pros athletes are “experts”. The modern collegiate is already very experienced, have had things they think work for them. Add to that they will be very stressed out by the new pro environment & you have significant culture challenges that collegiate coaches can just ignore except for the most high profile HS/ recruit. by the time they hit the pro scene these athletes already have had two or three high level coaches, esp with the new portal game. Most pros are prima donnas. They “know”. Developing a long term strategy requires buy-in that is very different than the collegiate scene. Additionally, college athletics has various other stakeholders that help encourage staying with a coach/school/progeam. The portal is changing this, for sure, but I expect there will be significant changes to the collegiate scene where coaches who win keep their athletes & those who don’t will suffer.
3.) Life is more complicated…way more complicated for pro athletes. The pressure of real life are very real, esp for those who need time to develop. Look at Josh Kerr. The support that he received from Brooks allowed a long term vision & commitment that Danny & Josh made the most of. How many other athletes of Josh’s collegiate level didn’t make it? Where the collegiate athletes move on into a normal, albeit privileged, next phase of life, the pro will have more psychological difficulties with the transition. I am not saying this is reasonable or even something we should empathize with, but it’s real. & Mike will care about this, I think.
There are more points I could make here but for Rojo to say it is “MILES and MILES easier” is misinformed.
Love the part where he talks about Grijalvas last minute hamstring injury. Think it says a lot about Smith as coach with how much he owned exerting him just a bit too much at the end of his training block and getting him injured. A lot of coaches would blame the athlete for probably going to hard and refuse to humble themselves and look in the memory about what they might have messed up.
Mike Smith always has a hard time peaking his athletes correct. He’s just loader of a coach. Lots of trend training with no actual thought. His deal is culture in college, not pro results.
& this is why it’s a challenge worth taking. He’ll have more bandwidth - & pressure - to get it right.
I don't know how it is in Arizona, but the benefits for state employees in my state are gold plated. What health and retirement benefits do you get as a professional coach?
I don't know how it is in Arizona, but the benefits for state employees in my state are gold plated. What health and retirement benefits do you get as a professional coach?
I was thinking the same thing. It does not seem like the smart move to make. I think he’s caught up in the Olympics and wanting his athletes to do better. Overall seems like a risky thing for a contract job a year away. If this was serious Nike would say start now not next year
I don't know how it is in Arizona, but the benefits for state employees in my state are gold plated. What health and retirement benefits do you get as a professional coach?
I was thinking the same thing. It does not seem like the smart move to make. I think he’s caught up in the Olympics and wanting his athletes to do better. Overall seems like a risky thing for a contract job a year away. If this was serious Nike would say start now not next year
Mike Smith always has a hard time peaking his athletes correct. He’s just loader of a coach. Lots of trend training with no actual thought. His deal is culture in college, not pro results.
I’ve been seeing this for years with NAU and not peaking well. Mike Smith is great at that cult culture thing he does with his NCAA team. I was hoping he focused on winning NCAA titles and continuing the legendary seasons at NAU. He’s a team coach not an individual. The major problem is Smith he will no longer have a team and it’s about individual results and medals. He is dropping his benefits at a state school for a contract with pros!?!?!?! This was a dumb move big time. He got some bad advice just to coach some pros. The kicker is Nico Young is with Adidas. This might not end well
When did Nike drop benefits for their employees?
Hmmm...News to me, and a sh^t load of Nike employees!
I’ve been seeing this for years with NAU and not peaking well. Mike Smith is great at that cult culture thing he does with his NCAA team. I was hoping he focused on winning NCAA titles and continuing the legendary seasons at NAU. He’s a team coach not an individual. The major problem is Smith he will no longer have a team and it’s about individual results and medals. He is dropping his benefits at a state school for a contract with pros!?!?!?! This was a dumb move big time. He got some bad advice just to coach some pros. The kicker is Nico Young is with Adidas. This might not end well
When did Nike drop benefits for their employees?
Hmmm...News to me, and a sh^t load of Nike employees!
I LOVED LOVED the interview and just featured it as QOD and started three threads that were in there.
There was one thing I did disagree with entirely however and that was his talk about how he is choosing the harder thing to be a pro coach.
At the same time, I want to be someone that challenges themselves. And I asked myself, “What would I tell my athletes?” I’m constantly have meetings in my office, encouraging people to step toward the harder thing. And I think I could have stayed in college coaching a long time, and that’s for sure the easiest option for me. We’ve [had] a lot of success. I feel really comfortable in my position, and this is a whole new challenge for me, so trying to kind of take my own medicine as a coach of stepping toward what’s harder.
I TOTALLY disagree. Being a pro coach is MILES and MILES easier than being an NCAA coach. I read this morning that Nick Saban did something recruiting related every single day of the year including XMAS. As a pro coach, particularly based in Flagstaff for Nike, he'll almost have none of that and he'll likely get a pay raise.
He doesn't have to hang out all day at some horrible indoor meet at NAU in January while his 18th best guy runs the third heat of the 5k. He doesn't even need to go to his pros early season meets at all. They are adults - send them on the plane and watch it on tv.
Now, if his goal is to be as dominant of a pro coach as a college coach, then yeah that's harder but that's not going to happen. Well I take that back. If Nike starts sending their top athletes from Ethiopia/Kenya/Uganda to Flagstaff to train under him, then I think he can have Salazar type success.
Rojo is right. Mike Smith took this job because it's less work, less hours, and more money.
Just admit it, no need to gaslight us into thinking this is the "harder route" or that this is a risk.
Most pro runners could basically design their own training. Coaching in college is WAY harder.
I LOVED LOVED the interview and just featured it as QOD and started three threads that were in there.
There was one thing I did disagree with entirely however and that was his talk about how he is choosing the harder thing to be a pro coach.
At the same time, I want to be someone that challenges themselves. And I asked myself, “What would I tell my athletes?” I’m constantly have meetings in my office, encouraging people to step toward the harder thing. And I think I could have stayed in college coaching a long time, and that’s for sure the easiest option for me. We’ve [had] a lot of success. I feel really comfortable in my position, and this is a whole new challenge for me, so trying to kind of take my own medicine as a coach of stepping toward what’s harder.
I TOTALLY disagree. Being a pro coach is MILES and MILES easier than being an NCAA coach. I read this morning that Nick Saban did something recruiting related every single day of the year including XMAS. As a pro coach, particularly based in Flagstaff for Nike, he'll almost have none of that and he'll likely get a pay raise.
He doesn't have to hang out all day at some horrible indoor meet at NAU in January while his 18th best guy runs the third heat of the 5k. He doesn't even need to go to his pros early season meets at all. They are adults - send them on the plane and watch it on tv.
Now, if his goal is to be as dominant of a pro coach as a college coach, then yeah that's harder but that's not going to happen. Well I take that back. If Nike starts sending their top athletes from Ethiopia/Kenya/Uganda to Flagstaff to train under him, then I think he can have Salazar type success.
Rojo is right. Mike Smith took this job because it's less work, less hours, and more money.
Just admit it, no need to gaslight us into thinking this is the "harder route" or that this is a risk.
Most pro runners could basically design their own training. Coaching in college is WAY harder.
Thats not true. It’s much harder. College is just pointless rules and paperwork. No way it’s harder. Getting athletes to win medals in not easier then college. If you’re telling a guy to go run on his own and you’re no place to be found you suck as a Pro college
I TOTALLY disagree. Being a pro coach is MILES and MILES easier than being an NCAA coach.
I totally disagree with you and totally agree with Coach Smith. What’s easier: preparing Nico to face NCAA competition, or preparing Nico to face the likes of Jakob, Aregawi, Fisher, Kiplimo, Kejelcha, Barega, Kwemoi, et al?
It's significantly easier to do the latter.
Do you understand how coaching works? You get an understanding of physiology and then you give your athletes workouts to get them in amazing shape. It doesn't matter who you are racing. The goal is the same for every single runner- get in the very best possible shaep for race day.
Mike Smith's job isn't to get Nico to face the likes of anyone. His job is to get Nico in the best possible shape on a particular day - period.
That's easier to do as a pro coach as you don't have to do indoor NCAAs, outdoor conference, classes, etc. If you have a niggle, you can postpone it.
Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win a LetsRun t-shirt.Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win one of 10 LetsRun t-shirts.