I wondered what happened to him. He was making a much smoother transition to the next level than his HS contemporary, Andy Powell. Then the next year he disappeared.
I wondered what happened to him. He was making a much smoother transition to the next level than his HS contemporary, Andy Powell. Then the next year he disappeared.
If you want to talk about great coaches, the standard is Lydiard. To read about the improvements he had with different runners across the board (Snell the most impressive) is incredible. He turned a 9:50 2miler into a 9:10 2miler in 1 1/2 years. That is the staple of a good coach, getting talent, at whatever level, and turning it into an even better runner. Anyone who is similiar to him has the merit to being called a great coach.
Rollie Geiger at NC State has a tradition of that. Katie Sabino was like a 11:00 min two miler in high school and graduated running 15:55 for 5k. They had another walk on runner wh ran 11:30 for 2 miles run 33:40 for 10k two years ago.
Other good coaches are Schumacher (Wisconsin), Virgil (best US coach), Centrowitz (American), Torpe(Lassalle), McDonnel (Arkansas, Wetmore (yeah I said it, he has developed talent)
Anyone who merely recruits runners and they don't get better are not good coaches, just good recruiters. Those coaches listed above, while some recruit great guys, develop them into a real imposing force.
I leave Vin out becuase, frankly, with as many studs as he recuirted, the fact he had a strong top 7 is not surprising, it is a game of numbers. you take 40 high school All-Ameircans, you would hope 7 of them would take to the sport well. No one else has a reserve like that.
youdontknow wrote:
I leave Vin out becuase, frankly, with as many studs as he recuirted, the fact he had a strong top 7 is not surprising, it is a game of numbers. you take 40 high school All-Ameircans, you would hope 7 of them would take to the sport well. No one else has a reserve like that.
but vin was an extremely successful coach at dartmouth, where his recruiting wasn't stellar.
most of those top college coaches paid their dues - at either a lower division college, or in high school. the fact that they can actually coach gets lost when they recruit top notch guys.
Beth Alford-Sulivan from Penn State. Best coach around. Just ask her!
Lydiard.
Out of curiousity, who is George Watts?