Klim coaching at Akron

I am so pleased to hear that Joe Klim got a job with Akron. He is very talented in all the aspects of track and field. He has enough knowledge to coach jav, jumps, hurdles and distence (and he has done so at PSU and BU). This guy gives nothing but 100% into his work and commits with his whole heart! He is an awesome motivator and is excited to get his chance to impact Akron's men's xc and distance as their assistant coach. Congrats Joe, I wish you nothing but the best!!!

Hardly and some others (Observer1 included), basically all you've done is tell me the last coach was good and was able to get some impressive results. That's fantastic, but the last coach is gone. The conversation is speculative re. the new hire, Klim. It sounds like Williamson was great, but he's gone. Should Klim be maligned because he's not Williamson? I guess Williamson didn't give you guys much of a choice in the matter since he LEFT. The point is, don't rip Klim for *appearing* as though he doesn't have distance experience and capability simply because he's labled a sprint/multi coach. You (collectively) have yet to speak to this point. Creating other off-topic narratives doesn't speak to this point. What makes anyone think listing past race results has any bearing on a speculative assessment of future results under a new coach?

Can I get an AMEN!??!!

Pericles In Orange wrote:

Hardly and some others (Observer1 included), basically all you've done is tell me the last coach was good and was able to get some impressive results. That's fantastic, but the last coach is gone. The conversation is speculative re. the new hire, Klim. It sounds like Williamson was great, but he's gone. Should Klim be maligned because he's not Williamson? I guess Williamson didn't give you guys much of a choice in the matter since he LEFT. The point is, don't rip Klim for *appearing* as though he doesn't have distance experience and capability simply because he's labled a sprint/multi coach. You (collectively) have yet to speak to this point. Creating other off-topic narratives doesn't speak to this point. What makes anyone think listing past race results has any bearing on a speculative assessment of future results under a new coach?

Very well said!

And on another note, I'm really looking forward to when Joe Klim gets ahold of a head coaching position somewhere. Good things are gonna happen.

Pericles, you're message is dead on ... forgive the rabbit trails.

Quick question, I have done some research and would suggest you do the same. Unless Akron is posting some other school's times, I think you will find everything I've posted is accurate:

http://www3.uakron.edu/track/t%26f-2006/lists-2006.htm

MAC Attack!!!!!!!!!! wrote:

Who really gives a shit. My guess is that this is a back-and-forth posting between Rick Williamson and Dennis Mitchell/Scott Jones and whoever this new guy is.

You can't find five people outside of Akron that care at all about the men's or women's program at Akron.

MAC titles are nice. But hey, it is still Crackron and nobody gives a shit.

Maybe your right...maybe nobody outside of Akron cares about Akron. But that's the point isn't it. People who care about it are talking about it. Why don't you go support your big name schools you band wagon riding fairy. I bet you bought a Texas hat right after they won their national title, and you were right there cheering on the Steelers to their Super Bowl title. WHO CARES WHAT YOU THINK?

Is Klim the head coach of the UA mens team or is he beneath Jones in power?

If past history is any indication of future events, then it will go down something like this: Klim comes in and if the men do well AND Dennis likes him, then Scott will take some of the credit and things will be rosy. If Dennis starts disliking him and the men don't do so well, then Scott will distance himself from him and throw him under the bus.

Office politics at their worst. Good luck

I generally try to stay out of these types of mindless discussions which take place on this message board. Basically, the letsrun.com message board is about the lowest denomintor when it comes to class. Interesting given distance runners are supposed to be our most intelligent of student-athletes, but then come on this board and destroy the credibility of every coach ever mentioned. I would guarantee that most of the fools that post on this board don't even know the coaches they are criticizing.

I know Coach Mitchell, although I would not consider him a friend, more of a coaching colleague. Maybe that statement will objectify what I am about to say.

When Dennis Mitchell came in, Akron was about the worst job in the country. No one wanted the job. It was in total confusion, and there were only one or two athletes that were Division I caliber, either on cc or track. The cross country program had finished dead last for four consecutive years (women), and the track team (women) had finished last for five consecutive years.

Within two years, both teams had won a MAC championship, and done it with Ohio athltetes. They have used that as a springboard to consistently improve their program.

If it weren't for Dennis Mitchell's tireless badgering of the AD, Akron wouldn't have that nice new indoor facility. Sure, I'm sure he can be a pain, but he is passionate about doing good things for Akron.

Now, the program wins the triple crown. that is not easy to do, and has never been done before. Sure, some of you who don't know what is going on can say that its was all because of the assistants. That is bullcrap. A division I program is directed, organized, and run by the head coach. Give credit to the head coach for hiring good assistant coaches, and allowing them to do their job. Why do some of you refuse to give any college coach mentioned credit for doing anything good? Most of us work for poor wages, but care deeply about what we do. What is wrong with that? And I laugh every time I hear how great some of the distance-geeks on this site think they could coach. Then get busy and do it at whatever level you can. Show us what you can do.

A very basic point that I am attempting to make is that Coach Mitchell has build Akron's program into a good national program, and I have respect for that. Before he came Akron was a horrid situation. He has made it better. When I watch him coaching his athletes, I hear and see good things being discussed. Quality coaching. Whether I like him or dislike him is irrelevant, I consider him to be an excellent technical coach, and someone who produces consistent excellent results. That just doesn't happen by accident.

To the people who like to come on here and spew venom. Think about how you'd like to be viewed. Dennis Mitchell has done nothing wrong to you, and all he does is work hard to make Akron a great program. And from the actual results he is doing that.

Again, I am not a friend of Mitchell, I am not from Akron, or have any affiliation to Akron. But I do respect people who have a vision, and work to fulfill that vision instead of spending so much time on message boads bitching about others.

Most of the distance people on this board would be utter failures in the coaching profession due to their belief that the only people who can coach distance runners is someone who was a distance runner themselves. While it may be very helpful to have a distance background, coaching of distance runners is the easies of all track & field events. I am not saying it is easy, just easiest.

Whether Coach Mitchell puts scholarship money into distance is none of my business. What I do know if they just finished having a great cross country, indoor, and outdoor season. Their athlete sit together, scream and yell for each other, and seem to be proud of being a member of the Akron team - just like it should be.

That doesn't just happen, their has to be a captain leading the charge and directing those things.

Go head, criticize everything and everyone in the MAC, but every head coach in the MAC, and every assistant in the MAC work their butt off to promote our sports. They are all great people who care deeply about what they do, whether the posters on the messageboard believe it or not.

This is my one post, and I won't be back for another year or two.

Before you post something negative about a college coach look in the mirror. You might not like what you see.

God speed.

Joe your a freaking rock star on this board!When I am heading north for Christmas with the family I'll be stopping off at Akron to visit you.We can sit back and pound a couple of brews & BS about the days we had to call kids in my PE 185 Class to field the team that first season.

Once again Congrats on this thread being fives pages and staying on page one!

Nice PR Dennis, do you moonlight as the SID as well?

National power??

That was good stuff, somewhat factual, but good stuff.

good post

to: a real mac coach. why not try to get your facts straight before you come on preaching about the greatness of mitchell. it certainly was not within 2 years that both programs won mac championships. and after they won those titles it was another 6 years before they won another one. there have been quite a few mac team champions crowned in that span. also, mitchell IS NOT the one that got the fieldhouse built. this is a division 1 university and it is all about football, so please do not credit mitchell for the new track. al campbell was the coach before mitchell arrived and he recieved very little financial support from the university. an example of the lack of support would be that the university let the track building sit next to the track after it has been set a fire some 6 to 8 years before that! al campbell also taught a full schedule of classes at the university and only had one full time coach (at most) to work with the entire time he was at the university. some (and not even close to all) accomplishments during coach campbell's career: 1500 meter school record of 3:41 by jim luth (national qualifier also), national qualifier in the men's javelin in 1992, individual national qualifier in women's cross country in 1992, conference champions in women's cross country in 1992, many time division 2 team national qualifier in men's cross country. he did this with little support from the university or assistant coaches while teaching all day. so let's not suck mitchell's d so much and claim he performed miracles at akron. the dude is an ego maniac and the hiring of this klim dude is no suprised. pull those strings puppet master.

dude: give the man his props, whether you like him or not.

before mitchell came in the program was not good, previous coach was a good guy.

under the leadership you speak of here is what happened. THE FACTS.

mitchell camee in 96ish

akron joins the mac in 92.

wcc; second to last in 92, 93

last in 94,95,96,97,

8th in 98

mac champs in 99

6th in 00, 8th in 01, 5th in 02, 3rd in 03, 3rd in 04,

mac champs in 05

wtf,

last in 93,94, 95, 96, 97

7th in 98,

1st in 99

5th in 00

3rd in 01

7th in 02

3rd in 03

3rd in 04

2nd in 05

1st in 06

will get my men's stuff out to put that on later.

why is it people just can't give credit when it is due? who cares if you like the dude, he has done good things for Akron U.

Dude, what planet are you on? Do you think any athletic department is just going to give a track coach financial support, add to the coaching staff, build an indoor track facility and renovate an outdoor track? Those things didn't happen serendipitously. The reason they happened is that Mitchell worked his ass off to make them happen. Why is it that none of the other MAC schools (they all have football, by the way) don't have an indoor track like Akron's? Unlike most of us, Mitchell realizes you don't have to just accept the status quo, but you have to be willing to do the work to bring about change. As previous posters have said, you don't have to like the guy, but don't deny him the credit he is due. Think before your next post or you'll get thrown under a bus.

Mithcell is a hypocrite and that is one of the main problems. He would spout off about how we need to follow traditions and criticize teams for not going to the All-Ohio. Then what does he do, he stops going to the All-Ohio indoor because it is on a 200m track and told the Ohio coaches that the only way he was interested in the All-Ohio is if they can host it. Years ago, he was the reason that the Ohio, BG, Akron tri meet was cancelled after 20 years as well.

Big deal. So they have a nice indoor track. Pretty funny to see the results of their meets when nobody from the MAC or Ohio goes because they can't stand him.

another coach!! wrote:

Pretty funny to see the results of their meets when nobody from the MAC or Ohio goes because they can't stand him.

There were Big East and Big Ten schools at their meets last year (isn't Ohio State still in Ohio?)and that's viewed as a bad thing?! "another coach" should go work for the Bush administration as a spinmeister!

"While it may be very helpful to have a distance background, coaching of distance runners is the easies of all track & field events. I am not saying it is easy, just easiest."

If is the easiest why are there a lot of great distance runners in the college ranks...I have seen excellent high school athletes ruined by coaches who think it is easy to coach distance runners. The true successful distance coach is one who gets their athletes to improve over the season and run their best at the end of the year. Then improve over the years and still want to run when they are finished with college running. I don't see a lot of this in Ohio.

Many who coach distance runners and don't have background it distance running don't understand how to train and race successfully. Many athletes are over trained and over raced because the coach has no f...in clue what it take to run successfully and the importance of rest and recovery...

Ohio State never went to any meets of Akron's. Those Big East teams you refer to were there for the Big East Conference meet you twerp. Check out the real meets like the Akron Youngstown State duel.