What did he say that was taunting?
What did he say that was taunting?
The thing that is ridiculous and classless is that these kids and in high school and not his athletes. No matter what happens in the recruiting process, you are the adult and you set an example for the young men and women on your team. Not being able to handle the loss of an athlete just makes you seem like a poor sport. Would this be out of the question if it were a college race and those were his athletes, no. It would be fine. But as a college coach at a high school meet you should keep your mouth shut. They have a coach until June and it isnt you. Beyond a generic motivational "Let's go" or "Looking great", wait until September.
How can we sit here and judge Johnny Gray when we don't know what the kid said and did to make him mad? I like how some people think they can interfere with other people's business. Its not your dirty laundry so stop hating on this coach. If the high school boy is not tough enough to take verbal abuse during a race, then how is he going to be a successful runner in college.
Reno Track wrote:
How can we sit here and judge Johnny Gray when we don't know what the kid said and did to make him mad? I like how some people think they can interfere with other people's business. Its not your dirty laundry so stop hating on this coach. If the high school boy is not tough enough to take verbal abuse during a race, then how is he going to be a successful runner in college.
It does not matter what this kid did or said, Coaches are representatives or an institution and legacy that goes far beyond who they are. They also represent the NCAA as a whole.
He is an adult and professional coach and should conduct himself with class in public and not turn into a vindictive child. It is called sportsmanship. Let go of the grudge, be a grown-up, and move on. Stop yelling things at high school kids while they race.
Regardless of the situation, that is classless behavior by a college coach and the university shouldn't tolerate it.
You miss the entire point Reno Track. It doesn't matter what the 17 year old high school boy said to the 50 year old college coach. Under no circumstances does the 50 year old college coach verbally abuse the boy in front of hundreds of people at an indoor race. Not only does that 50 year old coach represent his college, but he also represents the entire NCAA and the code of running in college today.
I don't care if the 17 year old boy promised the coach he would go to UCLA and then reneged later. A verbal commit from a 17 year old senior in high school means nothing until letter of intent signing day. Mr, Gray was wrong in what he did. And I hope that boy gets pay back in the form of running very fast in college.
Getting a kid to verbally commit during a campus visit is like a salesman trying to close a deal on a used car lot, and about as reputable. The whole deal is to give the hard sell for an essentially meaningless verbal commitment and then use it to guilt him into not exploring his options until signing time. Holding a grudge against a kid who almost committed is ludicrous but not to unexpected in a system getting more rotten by the day (see football and basketball).
Coach Groves of PSU used to yell "smell his a$$hole!" to his athletes during races.
What he meant was to sit on someone and not allow a gap.
Not sure if the opposing teams took offense so much as they were puzzled.
decommitting is much worse than taunting, and there's no proof here that gray did any taunting. it sure wouldn't make me less likely to want to run for gray, if I were in that situation.
thomyorkeownsyou wrote:
xc955 wrote:here's a question I always wondered about then; what do you all think about coaches that yell at their runners "get him, he's dying!". okay to say? okay to say if the "dying" runner can't hear? not okay period?
I thought about this as well. I've said this to my athletes before, but I usually say it quietly to them so the "dying" runner doesn't here. But I do this because I don't want to motivate the other athlete, not because I don't want to degrade him. I know when I raced and another coach said something about me, it always motivated me to make sure I beat the other kid.
I always picked it up whenever a coach would say something like that, perfect way to break the athlete who has been told to "get you," "or he's dying," or whatever.
[quote]jjjjjjjjj wrote:
"decommitting is much worse than taunting..."quote]
You must be joking or a troll.
This(decommitting) happens ALL THE TIME in the revenue sports-as well as our own humble olympic sport. Our staff always had the policy that we didn't count that money as spent/committed to the athlete until they(athlete) had that paperwork sent/faxed in. There have been top 10 level(5 star) football recruits decommitt ON SIGNING DAY without telling anybody! Do you know what the football coach does? Shrugs his shoulders and moves on to see who he can get to fill that scholarship hole. It is a part of the business.
My college coach told me when I broke into the business that the first thing you need to learn to deal with as a young coach, and that you need to handle it well, is rejection-because YOU WILL be rejected by 18 year olds on a regular basis-sometimes for really superficial/stupid reasons. Not even the best coaches get every recruit they want.
When I was a college coach there were HS athletes that I thought I had locked in and were ready to sign. I did everything right, sold the merits of the school, sold my program and expectations, gave them a great recruiting trip/prentation, showed them where they fit in, had a great relationship with parents, offered good money paired with their financial aid package, made sure to follow up and not forget about them because they had "committed" and at the last minute got sniped by another school. It happens. I never had any ill will toward the athlete, and could say hello and good job at meets after becuase of that way of doing business. Some of these athletes worked out at the other school, some didn't, either way my job stayed the same, coach the athletes I DID land to the best of my abilty. Taking things personally on the recruiting trail is a good way to burn out. Anyway, that's just my experience and I believe a good way to conduct yourself so that threads about you don't pop up on this cesspool. Have a NICE DAY!
Long Standing Record wrote:
Regardless of the situation, that is classless behavior by a college coach and the university shouldn't tolerate it.
Since the question has been asked several times and never actually answered, I'll pose it again. What did he say that was classless and shouldn't be tolerated? So far a bunch of people have that what he said was wrong, but unless I'm missing something no one has bothered to actually provide a quote.
Like someone else asked: Is it okay for a coach of a distance runner to tell his guy/girl to go get him/her, she is dying, whether the "dying" runner is within earshot or not.
Santa Reeya wrote:
Like someone else asked: Is it okay for a coach of a distance runner to tell his guy/girl to go get him/her, she is dying, whether the "dying" runner is within earshot or not.
Absofreakinlutely.
I guess the karma folks paid a visit to UCLA middle distance coach Johnny Gray tonight in Texas. His athlete Cory Primm, who was favored to win the 800 in the NCAA Indoor Meet, didn't even qualify for the final. I hope this teaches UCLA coach Johnny Gray not to act foolish at a high school meet and taunt other athletes who didn't commit to his college.
For those of us who know the real story, it was not un expected and almost uncomfortable to watch.
What I know is that Johnny Gray and the high school runner he taunted, were seen being "very friendly" to each other on the UCLA campus. Many of us knew Gray typically chose a new pup for his own, and this young man seems to have broke his heart. He will find another.
Well do it publicly during a race shows a definte lack of class on the coach's part.
Even over the phone when the kid tell's him he's made a choice to go somewhere else it's classeless to berate him about that. But when you invest so much time and emotion to recruit someone, you think you have a shot, it happens. Class is sucking it up and wishing the kid well. It's a hard thing for a high schooler to turn down a coach after they built up a sort of relationship in that whole recruiting process. And then to get abusively backlashed at by a 50 year old? Come on.
that his life sucks because he's not WINNING!
dean moriarty wrote:
Still struggling to understand how the kid is in any way at fault here. He can't change his mind about where he wants to attend college?
I do love fake Johnny Gray on here, though. PREACH!
Johnny Gray is a punk in real life. And a sissy to boot. Not joking. You mention to him Cruz or Coe or some other runners who easily and regularly whipped his ass and he goes bat-shit big time.
'Some people say that Andrews deserved it because he was a strong UCLA lean and then changed his mind at the last minute'
So what until you sign any contract there is no obligation. I prety much agree with the rest of what you said though
The coach is out of order and should be made to apologise to the athlete. Then that should be the end of it