I think that is a great hire. Younger and can connect with the athletes, Katie is from the Midwest and knows the region. Fantastic runner as well
I think they need more of a traditional build up with American talent then sprinkle some internationals on top.
Time will tell
The problem with recruiting the Midwest is that we’ve been there, done that. Schweizer went to Missouri, Noe went to Arkansas, Ferebee is going to Arkansas - Iowa State is an afterthought for the best runners who are right in their backyard. Logue was a home run, Feyen, Hill, & Schraft developed nicely, but if you bring in girls who finished 15th at Nike Heartland & not 1st-5th you are taking more risk than you are bringing in a Kenyan whose handlers will probably tell them they have to come back home if they don’t run fast. A Midwest recruiting mistake will stay until they graduate 90% of the time - because money. It’s precisely why the program is where it is right now. Iowa State has to recruit globally based purely on talent. The Midwest does nothing for us. It’s a 2 bid region for a reason.
Iowa State hired 2024 Michigan State grad Katie Osika for their women’s distance assistant job. Very good miler/cross country runner combo who was a 15:39 5k runner by the time she was done.
She is being hired primarily as a recruiter and is obviously a novice as far as that goes so we shall see. As the post two above this reflects, she is not coming into a great situation so she’ll have to sell a vision of something better ahead
Erik the only vision this girl needs is the vision to drive a van. She's not recruiting. This was a grunt work hire. Get a life bro.
Iowa State hired 2024 Michigan State grad Katie Osika for their women’s distance assistant job. Very good miler/cross country runner combo who was a 15:39 5k runner by the time she was done.
She is being hired primarily as a recruiter and is obviously a novice as far as that goes so we shall see. As the post two above this reflects, she is not coming into a great situation so she’ll have to sell a vision of something better ahead
Erik the only vision this girl needs is the vision to drive a van. She's not recruiting. This was a grunt work hire. Get a life bro.
You should volunteer for that between McDonald’s shifts.
Adlfinger is an odd choice... Drake will only decline if that's truly the hire. Mark this post and revisit in a few years
Drake does not have the deepest of pockets. They were considering cutting their physics major a few years ago. They play non-scholarship football and their biggest or 2nd biggest source of athletics cash is The Drake Relays - which is a shell of what it was 30 years ago in terms of ticket sales. Their other source of cash, men’s & women’s basketball, just got more expensive as they have announced they are going to pay players. There’s a decent chance they are cutting track & field scholarships & travel so a D3 coach may be appropriate for their new model - you’re recruiting tuition paying athletes.
part of the problem in central Iowa is the performance coach most kids go to for extra guidance is cutting deals to send the females to Arkansas and reaping the financial rewards. It does not help that ISU is not any good anymore to combat that. This hire won't fix that. IMHO- it is a white flag hire. Athletes not in the 515 area code, out of state kids and foreign are the only options left for the short term future
I saw in a different thread that Loras's coach, Ethan Adlfinger, is a serious finalist for the Drake job. FYI
They are tired of the revolving door- the program is not fully funded. Actually, it is hardly funded so I guess it fits. I can't see them being any good but one never knows. First school in the state of Iowa to give a rip about women's distance running, please stand up.
part of the problem in central Iowa is the performance coach most kids go to for extra guidance is cutting deals to send the females to Arkansas and reaping the financial rewards. It does not help that ISU is not any good anymore to combat that. This hire won't fix that. IMHO- it is a white flag hire. Athletes not in the 515 area code, out of state kids and foreign are the only options left for the short term future
Big if true.
If we’re paying to get Kenyans I would gladly chip in to get Noe or Ferebee. Pay the man his money.
Adlfinger is an odd choice... Drake will only decline if that's truly the hire. Mark this post and revisit in a few years
From afar, it appear like a good hire. North Central alum, successful D3 coach in Iowa. That is a background that can make it work at Drake. I expect them to be successful.
Having read through the other thread, it seems like people in that thread are just throwing a bunch of D3 names from the area at the wall and hoping one sticks. Maybe someone is correct, but there were about 4 different D3 coaches thrown out as strong candidates at Drake.
You're more likely to see a St. Thomas or Gopher assistant take over. Not to hate on D3, but a D1 program typically prefers someone with D1 experience.
You're more likely to see a St. Thomas or Gopher assistant take over. Not to hate on D3, but a D1 program typically prefers someone with D1 experience.
