Mike Smith quit NAU because it was very time consuming. He chose to coach pro runners because it was less time consuming.
It's honorable he wants more time for his family, but he is putting in less effort for the pro group than he did for his college team.
This is a recipe for failure.
Mike Smith chose to step away from one lane and focus on the other, that showed both self-awareness and respect for the athletes. It’s honorable because it recognizes that athletes deserve someone who’s fully invested and not split between two demanding worlds.
Cole’s coach works for him , but trust me no one wants to be coached by Ben Thomas. He’s doing fine with Cole and his NCAA team. Going to him would not work for 99% of pros.
Cole’s coach works for him , but trust me no one wants to be coached by Ben Thomas. He’s doing fine with Cole and his NCAA team. Going to him would not work for 99% of pros.
Everyone who has run for Ben Thomas loves him.
Strand would 100% be better off with Ben Thomas. Strand was the same exact type of runner as Hocker in college - perhaps with an even more deadly last 100m at the same age.
Cole’s coach works for him , but trust me no one wants to be coached by Ben Thomas. He’s doing fine with Cole and his NCAA team. Going to him would not work for 99% of pros.
Everyone who has run for Ben Thomas loves him.
Strand would 100% be better off with Ben Thomas. Strand was the same exact type of runner as Hocker in college - perhaps with an even more deadly last 100m at the same age.
Besides Cole and Cooper he sucked at Oregon. Their cross country team sucked
Like any coach would, Smith has worked on Young’s strength and given that Young has become America’s best 5/10 runner, he has done a good job. Young is not Mo Farah, so he’s not always going to have the best kick. He’s only 23, and as his strength increases he’ll kick to more wins. This year he did have a tremendous kick when set his 5000m AR.
I also predict Nico having a really hard time beating Ky Robinson (albeit an Australian) in the future. Ky is faster in the mile and faster in the 3000m.
With no World Championships in 2026, Robinson can break through as a contender for the 10,000m as well.
He beat Nico today in the 5000m and actually ran 27:47 WAY BACK in 2022, so he has shown great 10k potential.
Nico is faster than Blanks across the board. Blanks is basically dead weight with little upside, while Nico is the future of American distance running and he’s still so young. The only thing Nico needs to improve is his racing sense, in that 5k he made too many moves and kept surging, but that will come with time. Blanks just isn’t in the same atmosphere as Nico. And honestly, Nico is already faster and stronger than Ky, hands down across the boards.
Strand would 100% be better off with Ben Thomas. Strand was the same exact type of runner as Hocker in college - perhaps with an even more deadly last 100m at the same age.
Besides Cole and Cooper he sucked at Oregon. Their cross country team sucked
Oregon still sucks at cross with Jerry.
Indoors 2021, Ben coached the NCAA champion in the 800 (Hunter), Mile (Hocker), 1-2 in the 3k with Hocker and Teare, and DMR (without Hocker on the relay). They won by 23 points.
Back in the day he also coached VT to a DMT title.
He's always been an assistant coach to a head coach that prioritizes track.
There is no cross country in the Olympics, so prioritizing track is best for coaching pro runners.
I also predict Nico having a really hard time beating Ky Robinson (albeit an Australian) in the future. Ky is faster in the mile and faster in the 3000m.
With no World Championships in 2026, Robinson can break through as a contender for the 10,000m as well.
He beat Nico today in the 5000m and actually ran 27:47 WAY BACK in 2022, so he has shown great 10k potential.
Nico is faster than Blanks across the board. Blanks is basically dead weight with little upside, while Nico is the future of American distance running and he’s still so young. The only thing Nico needs to improve is his racing sense, in that 5k he made too many moves and kept surging, but that will come with time. Blanks just isn’t in the same atmosphere as Nico. And honestly, Nico is already faster and stronger than Ky, hands down across the boards.
Blanks and Nico are the same age and Blanks barely had time to train last winter and spring because of school at HARVARD.
No disrespect to Mike Smith, but Strand, Wolfe, and Liam Murphy need to be training alongside Hocker with Ben Thomas. They are a better fit with Ben Thomas because of the type of runners they are.
Strand and Murphy are 1500m guys with massive kicks like Hocker and who can run great 3ks and long term the 5k. Wolfe with his 7:30 in the 3k is also more of a Hocker type of runner than a Nico Young.
I don't know if Ben Thomas has expressed interest in having a big pro group, but it's time Nike makes him a massive offer that he can't refuse.
I am the biggest NAU and Mike Smith fan but I agree 100%. Smith's god-given gift is coaching a cross country team. How he'd get athletes to buy in and be selfless is so unique. Running team races to win championships, often times putting individual goals aside. Nobody else could create a culture like his.
But coaching professionals is different - it's all about the individual.
Don't get me wrong, Smith will have success with professionals but Smith as a cross country coach was something that the NCAA will NEVER see again.
I think this nails it on the head. Coaching pro runners and a college cross team are completely different skills.
Smith might be an above average pro coach, but he is possibly one of the top 5 college cross country coaches of all time.
Yeah I think Ben Thomas is a great mid distance coach but isn’t the greatest coach ever.
I had another coach point out to me how little his teams have done in XC over the years, especially when the region was weak (it’s loaded now).
the same coach told me he does best with super talents, but his training is not hard and grinding enough to get some average runners to a 50th place at XC nationals. In the end, super talents winning medals is probably more exciting.
Yeah I think Ben Thomas is a great mid distance coach but isn’t the greatest coach ever.
I had another coach point out to me how little his teams have done in XC over the years, especially when the region was weak (it’s loaded now).
the same coach told me he does best with super talents, but his training is not hard and grinding enough to get some average runners to a 50th place at XC nationals. In the end, super talents winning medals is probably more exciting.
This is the first time Ben Thomas gets to control scholarship distribution in his entire career. At VT it was Cianelli controlling it.
"Coach Dave Cianelli has written one of the greatest rags to riches stories in NCAA track and field history in his 22 years at Virginia Tech," said Thomas. "I was fortunate to be on his first staff at Tech. We had a few scholarships, not many resources, and some young talented assistant coaches. To be part of the program's 21 ACC Championship team titles, countless ACC individual titles, national champions, and All-American performances, has been one of the greatest joys of my professional career.
At Oregon they were going sprint and jumps heavy at the time Ben was there.
It's hard to compare his XC results with extremely little resources to programs that put all 12.6 into 10k runners.
I like Ben Thomas because it is not all about him.
Too many coaches these days it becomes all about them, not the athletes.
Having a conversation with Ben is a painful experience. He has no choice but be hide in the corner. The dude is a weirdo. I wouldn’t be in the public eye in his shoes either.
I like Ben Thomas because it is not all about him.
Too many coaches these days it becomes all about them, not the athletes.
Having a conversation with Ben is a painful experience. He has no choice but be hide in the corner. The dude is a weirdo. I wouldn’t be in the public eye in his shoes either.
I like Ben Thomas because it is not all about him.
Too many coaches these days it becomes all about them, not the athletes.
Having a conversation with Ben is a painful experience. He has no choice but be hide in the corner. The dude is a weirdo. I wouldn’t be in the public eye in his shoes either.
I'd rather have a conversation with Ben than Mike Smith and his fake accent.
This idea that Smith is unproven at championship track meets is a weird take. I feel like people are forgetting the success Abdi Nur and Luis G had. They've been banged up the last 2 years, but Luis made multiple 5k finals and was a legit medal threat. Abdi did the 3k/5k double indoors at NCAA's and has several outdoor teams and at least 1 outdoor American title as a pro. Nico doesn't have a medal yet, but he's raced well in 3 global finals and is definitely getting closer.
This idea that Smith is unproven at championship track meets is a weird take. I feel like people are forgetting the success Abdi Nur and Luis G had. They've been banged up the last 2 years, but Luis made multiple 5k finals and was a legit medal threat. Abdi did the 3k/5k double indoors at NCAA's and has several outdoor teams and at least 1 outdoor American title as a pro. Nico doesn't have a medal yet, but he's raced well in 3 global finals and is definitely getting closer.
They had one or two good years then vanished. They have gone backwards.
Those athletes are more natural 5k talents than Hocker but through Ben Thomas' genius, Hocker has surpassed them in the 5k and made Smith look bad.
Ben Thomas' athlete development over time is far better.