2023 College Track & Field Open Coaching Positions Discussion

We know you care...you "cared" to share that you no longer cared...need a pat on the back everytime you do something?

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Anybody have an update on the Cal Baptist job?

Arguably America's greatest Pole Vaulter ever, Jenn Suhr, accepts a vaulter coach position at her alma mater Roberts Wesleyan University.

Suhr is an Olympic gold and silver medalist, multiple world medalist indoor and out, holds the indoor vault world record. She started vaulting at the age of 22. A recent instagram post announcement sounds like she has interest in making a highly competitive program at Roberts, a D2 school.

I guess that makes sense to them. Going strong in the Vault is a bold and expensive statement.

Toledo hire.

utrockets.com

Tito Medrano Named Associate Head Coach for Cross Country and Track & Field - University of Toledo Athletics

@@ToledoXCTF

Medrano previously served at Syracuse, Eastern Kentucky and Illinois

Link:utrockets.com/news/2023/4/25/mens-cros...

Diane Wholey out at Abilene Christian.

Anyone have advice for moving up from high school coaching to college? I had a mediocre running career at a low end (but academically strong) mid-major, but have had some solid success 3 years into coaching high school kids. In particular, I am in the southeast but ultimately want to be out west, so any tips on networking and finding opportunities other than essentially cold-calling coaches?

Really the only way is to volunteer at a good program with an established coach and do a great job for no pay. Especially with whatever recruiting they let you do. Unfortunately, you also have to find a way to pay for food. But realistically, without an athletic career and with nobody to vouch for you, that's the path.

I would say this pay is pretty consistent for all of the mid majors in that region. Everyone complains about the south central sucking but it is hard to find people to coach in situations like this.

Honestly, get a job at a California Juco

This is actually not a terrible plan… honestly ca community colleges (they get really mad if you call them junior colleges) can be hit or miss. Some want to hire teachers so if you don’t have a masters and don’t want to teach then not possible, if they don’t expect you to teach it’s likely a 10k or so stipend of each sport.

But the JC route is definitely an option as there are tons of jobs posted around the country (sometimes not cool places) all the time. Be wary though that it can be tough to switch from jc to a 4 year school as well, better than hs to a 4 year but still not a guarantee and you may still end up doing a volunteer gig (or low pay) at a 4 year once you meet some more coaches.

End of the day you need to schmooze and grind!

Schmooze and grind for the well connected coaches.

I was told once that getting a job at a California community college is “harder that nailing an apple off someone’s head with a bow and arrow blind folded down a long dark hallway.”

This has been nothing but truth as I’ve seen countless under qualified coaches that have worked part time for years get the job simply because they are there.

Now one could argue that since they’ve been there for a handful of years then they detect it. Point is those that if you want a CS CC job I suggest you hunker down and live with roommates for 10 years and hope it pays off. Because if it does. It’s huge. But like most it won’t.

Random but true….. most white male distance coaches have a hard time working for females. I have yet to see any of them successfully be great assistants when working for female head coaches.

Still quiet on UNLV? Board has been quiet with May almost here.

AND you have to live in Little Rock

Rough point in the season to make a hire. Most movement begins after conference meets end.

First, try and figure out at what level you want to be at? That's probably going to affect a lot of the process. You definitely want to end up at a program that has a track record for volunteers becoming assistants either there or elsewhere. It's essential you have a well-connected member of the coaching staff. While it would help if they are in your event area, it's not necessary. Other things to look for might be a well-connected head coach at a mid major school who has the pedigree to move up to a larger program (associate HC experience at a P5 school) - that might be a way to move from volunteer to assistant along the way.
But beyond all that - you need to make yourself someone absolutely reliable to the coaching staff (all the coaches), and someone that will go above and beyond. No task is too menial for you, take opportunities to do it all. If that means you volunteer to drive a van 10+ hours just to deliver equipment to a meet, you do it. If you aren't working, you live at the office. If you are working as well, be in the office whenever you're not at work. Network like crazy when the opportunity comes, and do such an excellent job that every coach you work with will be more than eager to help connect you with others, and will pick up the phone and recommend you to their peers when openings you are interested come up.
Of course, there is no guarantee this will work out so be aware of the risk of pursuing this without the desired outcome. That's not to dissuade you from doing this, but just be honest with yourself as well.

There are probably 10 billion threads on this already.

Pucker up kid. You sound very much like I was...mediocre runner at crappy running school. Which means I wasn't a name...and had zero connections to names. So I puckered up real good and sucked A LOT of wieners (and vaginas). I still had to volunteer for almost 5 years. But it sure worked a lot better than going the high school coaching route if I wanted to end up at a HIGH LEVEL school. No one making hiring decisions will give two sh!ts what you did coaching high school...even winning multiple "national championships." Just ask Doug Soles when he was at Great Oak. Hell, even ask Sean Brosnan. The only reason he started out at UCLA is because no established coach wanted that job just to get let go when the head coach's contract isn't renewed a year later...and by that point at least he was an LA "name" connected to plenty of other " LA names." No one else was going to hire the guy though...not because he's a bad coach - clearly he is a good coach. But he had zero real NCAA coaching experience. And that's all they're going to look for if you aren't a real name/aren't well connected. And then they'll ask whoever they know who knows you to vet you...it'll be over before the interview.

So if you want to be coaching NCAA DI "out west," go figure out and make a list of who the most influential, well-connected coaches are in that region & then go find ways to get their attention so they let you volunteer...for years. Whether that's cold calling them, tracking them down at the USTFCCCCCCCCA convention, finding a common connection to put in a good word for you...whatever it is, just hope you like the taste of wieners or vaginas in your mouth. Because even when you land your first paying job, it's probably going to suck, and you're probably going to want to leave again ASAP...after about 10-15 years of doing that through multiple moves and countless roommates, you might find yourself in a situation that you ultimately wanted...20 years prior.

Cheers and g'luck mate!