What will Adidas think about letting a Nike coach work with Nico Young

Getting old and forgetful wrote:

I’m surprised John Capriotti was dumb enough to sign this deal with Mike Smith allowing him to coach and guide an Adidas athlete to success under the Nike’s dime. I also thought Cap made good choices. He must be losing it in his old age.

keeping friends close and enemies closer wrote:

Getting old and forgetful wrote:

I’m surprised John Capriotti was dumb enough to sign this deal with Mike Smith allowing him to coach and guide an Adidas athlete to success under the Nike’s dime. I also thought Cap made good choices. He must be losing it in his old age.

You’re being sarcastic, right? How does ‘guiding’ other athletes conflict with Smith’s primary mission to put Nike athletes on the podium? Where does Smith’s contract say he is also to ‘guide Adidas athletes to success”? He is allowed to coach them. Making non-nike athletes a podium threat is probably not written into the contract.

Getting old and forgetful wrote:

I’m surprised John Capriotti was dumb enough to sign this deal with Mike Smith allowing him to coach and guide an Adidas athlete to success under the Nike’s dime. I also thought Cap made good choices. He must be losing it in his old age.

Goat Run dude wrote:

keeping friends close and enemies closer wrote:

You’re being sarcastic, right? How does ‘guiding’ other athletes conflict with Smith’s primary mission to put Nike athletes on the podium? Where does Smith’s contract say he is also to ‘guide Adidas athletes to success”? He is allowed to coach them. Making non-nike athletes a podium threat is probably not written into the contract.

Company contracted coaches can not coach other athletes from competitor brands. This is common sense. This was just inked to get the deal done. It’s not good to work out having a brand new Nike group having an Adidas athlete. This is a business not a charity club. Things will change over the next year.

you are in agreement wrote:

Goat Run dude wrote:

Company contracted coaches can not coach other athletes from competitor brands. This is common sense. This was just inked to get the deal done. It’s not good to work out having a brand new Nike group having an Adidas athlete. This is a business not a charity club. Things will change over the next year.

But it is up to the athlete to decide what they want to do, whether to stick around or not. Get it??

Gruppppppppp wrote:

Rupps injuries are not Mike smith related. A spinal injury and hip impingements/labral tears also were not his fault. Stuff like that does happen. But Rupp is finally healthy.

Gruppppppppp wrote:

It seems like everyone forgets Mo was with adidas while running for Salazar.. it was given the green light from up on high and that worked out just fine.
In my opinion I think Rupp had some strings to pull(being Phil’s golden child) and said he wanted them to snag smith on a contract so he could go back to having a NOP type setup. Nike funded group this would mean Rupp might get more of a focus than the entire stable of athletes

Maxwell Gem wrote:

Imagine working your job, but doing it at your biggest competitors office and under their manager. No way this works in the long term and Nike knows this which is why they accepted it to get the deal done. While Mike might coach these athletes, his ultimate loyalty will have to be with Nike athletes. This will show up in small subtle ways until the fissures grow too big.

Hobby10k wrote:

Does anyone that would be the market audience care?

All of his photoshoots will be in Adidas gear, all of his races will be in Adidas gear, all of his press conferences will be referring to him as an Adidas athlete and wearing the same gear (except at Worlds or Olympics if another team like Nike sponsors the US team)

He will show up in Mike Team training videos, but once again he will be wearing Adidas stuff and won't be a focus of the videos if they are Nike sponsored videos.

What tangible way will this cause a problem? Adidas just needs to keep putting the word out there that he's an Adidas athlete, and I don't see any other problem

Topgo Summit wrote:

Runt Form wrote:

They don’t put this stuff in a contract. Stop just stop.
The truth is a Nike group is a Nike group for a reason and having a single Adidas athlete won’t make for good marketing for Nike or Adidas. The entire concept is silly and makes Nike look weak and Adidas is definitely not happy that one of their top distance athletes is basically running for Nike but in contract to wear their shoes.

Grant Fisher left his long time coach and he got better. Maybe Adidas can actually start a Pro group with Nico being the focus. Not the outcast like running in a Nike group as an Adidas athlete.

MattHatter wrote:

it's literally written into Smith's Nike contract he can grandfather in athletes from different brands. do you honesty think the Nike attorney's plus Smith's lawyers and agents would have included this in a legal document without first getting Adidas's permission? or Lullumon for Nikki Hiltz?

seems like the only people who take issue with this are the ones on this message board.

Three Stripes Question wrote:

Why is this thread getting deleted ? Rojo and Wejo please explain ?!?!

It’s a honest question and seems like a very strange set up. I’m very curious

Nike corp needs help wrote:

Three Stripes Question wrote:

Why is this thread getting deleted ? Rojo and Wejo please explain ?!?!

It’s a honest question and seems like a very strange set up. I’m very curious

It’s very strange and odd. For Nike to announce they will be starting a group a year from now and Mike Smith is the head coach for Nike yet coaching other athletes from different companies. WTF is Nike thinking.
I have a feeling this won’t actually go through or things will be different then we are being led to believe. This is the biggest half ass situation I’ve seen in the running world in a long time.