Auburn's new coach is...

what does that mean

Figuratively speaking. Alluding to an opinion(which may be dated) that building a top ranked national distance program in the Deep South has been shown to be a little more challanging than other places.

But there are advantages. Although there may not be as many top high school programs or strong traditions as the midwest, northeast, or west, and the talent you draw from that area may not be as "exposed" to high level distance running, many kids get overlooked that you can build a strong program with and get for cheap since they may not be as heavily recruited. For example, a time of 15:40 on the Alabama State Meet course is a national class type effort which would get overlooked if you don't know how challanging the course is.

Notice how I can back-up and cover my ass. Pretty slick, eh?

Fredo, where and when did youoach in Alabama? And by the way, if you weren't backing up (or dropping the soap) yououldn't have to cover your ass... if you really want to.

Zig-UAB. GA position. And my ass is strictly a one way street. Sorry.

I'll try to hold to my original statements but I was asked to explain myself.

To all who spend countless hours on the message board criticizing it is my desire that you find something better to do with your time. You have no information to base any opinions on and unless you are a part of the programs you choose to put down then you should not say anything. Everyone speculates about why the program was one way under the previous coach and how it will be different (either better or worse) under the new one. What the distance coach has as strengths or limitations at Auburn are things that no outsider would have any knowledge of so it does no good to speculate. Look at the past results for the Auburn program (as a whole) during the past 5 years. I have been a part of things for several years now so I am speaking from experience. I will list some of the things below for you people who claim to know, but really don't. This is from last years media guide so it is even more impressive when you put in this years as well.

1997-2001

93 All-SEC honors

29 SEC Champions

67 NCAA All-Americans

45 school recordholder

7 NCAA Champions

2 Collegiate Recordholder (Elva Goulbourne set the collegiate record this year as well)

75 Academic All-SEC awards

Academic All-American CC team

8 Olympians in 2000 (Bronze medal for Sanjay Ayre)

5 World Championship competitors (World Champ-Avard Moncur)

2000 SEC Athlete of the Year

4 NCAA All South Region CC awards

2 Individual NCAA CC qualifiers (Nerissa Johnson & Alexis Hamblet)

2 World Jr. Champs Competitors in 2000

U.S. Jr. 1500m Champ (Spring Dawson)

2 U.S. Jr. team members in 2001 (Spring Dawson and Bianca Willis)

Distance group 1997-2002

Aaron Richberg 1:46.7

Moses Gathuka 1:48.20, 3:45

Teddy Towle 1:48.38, 3:47

David Johnson 1:49.53 (1:49.46 indoors); 46 split on 3:04.4 mile relay

Kell Heegard 1:50.64 (indoors)

Brad Hansen - 3:47

4 x 800m relays - 7:19 & 7:22 (2000 and 2002 at Penn relays)

Sprint Medley relay - 3:12.17 (2nd fastest time in collegiate history)

4 x 400m relay - 3:01.92 (2001)

4 x 100m relay - 39.10 (1999)

Caitlin Reese - 2:08

Sarah Reese - 2:08; 4:33; 17;10 (CC)

Spring Dawson - 2:08, 4:25

Catherine Wanyoike - 4:29 (4:47 mile indoors); 9:46; 17:13

Alexis Hamblet - 2:11; 4:27; 9:43; 17:06 (I), 36:09; NCAA Qualifer CC

Erica Braswell - 4:32; 9:50; 17:05, 36;12

Nerissa Johnson - 16:57, 35:03, NCAA Qualifer CC

DMR - 11:30.5

4 x 800m relay - 8:44.4

All around marks of program

100m

Coby Miller -9.98

200m

Coby Miller -19.96

400m

Avard Moncur-44.45

800m

Aaron Richberg-1:46.78

1500m

Moses Gathuka-3:45.9

5000m

Ryan Emery-14:31 (walk-on)

400m hurdles

Dean Griffiths and Fred Sharp-both ran 49 in 2002 (Fred finished 4th at 800m indoors)

400m relay-39.10 (1999)

4 x 400m relay-3:01.9(2001

Long Jump

Osbourne Moxey-over 26 feet in 2002

Discus

Gabor Mate-219-6 (Collegiate record)

Reedus Thurmond-204-6

Hammer

Ryan Kavanagh-203-5

Javelin

Moise Louisy-Louis-216-5

100m

Vonette Dixon-11.40

200m

Elva Goulbourne and Tamicka Clark both ran low 23 in 2002

400m

Sashanie Simpson-53.40

800m

Cailtin Reese-2:08 (2 others in 2002 as well)

1500m

Spring Dawson-4:25

3K

Alexis Hamblet-9:43

5K

Nerissa Johnson-16:57

10K

Nerissa Johnson-35:03

100m hurdles

Vonette Dixon (12.93) and Lacena Golding (13.00)

400m hurdles

Natalee Sterling (57.25 in 2001)

400m relay-44.07 in 2001

High Jump

Nakeitra Jones-6.05 (several others at 5-10

Long Jump

Elva Goulbourne (Collegiate recordholder 2 x NCAA Champ)

Triple Jump

Shelly Gallimore-45-1.5 (2 x NCAA Champ)

Shot

Stacy Martin-50 ft

Discus

Stacy Martin-171-08

Heptathlon

Lacena Golding-5750

Keep in mind that these are just some of the best marks. Some events have even more athletes that have outstanding marks as well. Auburn has athletes in most event areas and even though all don't make it to NCAAs that does not mean that they are not good. The SEC is the top conference in Track and Field, with 8 teams in the top 15 at the national meet every year. All you people who want to criticize the coaches and the program should do your homework before posting your message. Talk about positive things on the board or do us all a favor and don't post anything at all.

You're right. No one should criticize if they don't have that information. Now that you've provided it, it's all the more evident that the distace program at Auburn can only improve, because it can't get much worse. Chris Fox is a good person who should no what it takes to make that happen.

No-"know". Jeesh!

Fredo,

What's your claim to fame. Let me guess, you won the Intramural Track meet at your college!!! Better yet, from your responses it appears that you did not even attend college.

DITTO---Au Dude!!! I agree.

I wish the new coach and the runners under his guidance, all the luck in the world. (However, I never believed in luck, you make your own.)

Au-Runners---> Fox knows the SEC and what it felt like to kick ass and I'm sure he's going to try and pull that out of you! He hates to loss!!! Don't worry, C-F has enough experience for the middle distances even the 800, (running very fast 1500's himself)and you longer guys, well, you know his history. Enough said.

You Au-boys still on farm --> just remember, theirs always opportunity that follows change. Never lose sight of your goals!!! Always: War-Eagle to you! Former!!

PS:AUrunner: That list must have taken you forever! Stop setting in front of your Dell and go run a few, Fox is coming! You better be ready!

Ok. One more time and I'm off this subject. I will agree with aurunner that I could find more productive things to do with my time.

What we do here is participate in discussions. People are free to express their opinions. People are free to disagree with others. That's the beauty of it. Now an outside observer doesn't have the credibility of someone directly involved with the program. But everyone can comment on what they see. And in my opinion one 5000 time of 14:31 in 5 years does nothing to add to the credibility of a Division 1 distance program. Probably the only people that would feel that this would be worth mentioning are those who don't have a good knowledge of what a good college distance program should be accomplishing.

It looks as if Auburn has in recent years focused primarily on the sprints and throws, as well as done very well in the 800. And that may be the main reason right there for lack of distance success. There's only so much money to throw around. Which someone else mentioned earlier in the suggestion that the place might not be a great move for Fox after all. Robert Gary of Ohio State works in an environment where he receives little support from the sprint oriented head coached. Others who have posted here that claim to be insiders attest that this is not the case and Fox will receive adequate funding. I commented on a lack of distance running tradition among southern schools. All I was doing was pondering whather there were regional factors involved that what make it tougher to compete in collegiate long distance running. Sociologists do this all the time. They develop a theory than test that theory to determine if it holds water. On this board people can pose a question and others can add their own opinions. Then those with the most credibility can prove the best points.

Personally, I agree that there is a lot of negativity but its sure more interesting than a bunch of people congratulating everyone for every minor accomplishment.

That's my mom's job. Anytime I ran a race I always did good her eyes. But sometimes unbiased opinion is better for you in the long run.

Oh, and I don't feel listing any times I've run does anything to enhance my credibility. There are a hundred guys on here faster than me and more not as fast but that doesn't mean anyone should be more allowed to make any comments than anyone else.

But I have run 14:31 for 5000. Not in a while, but first time around when I first turned 16. I've known 9:40 walk-ons that ran 13:56 in college. Its not that impressive.

so if you could compare fox to a famous coach who would it be? ex. peter coe, lydiard, or a mix, jack daniels...etc? who?

Ah, back to the original question. I can't answer that. I know there have been some guys who have posted here that have been coached by him. I've always been a Chris Fox fan and can add only the few things I know about him as a runner.

1)He ran around 8:55 in high school. I remember an old Harrier magazine profile on the yop guys his year that said he ran up to 17 miles a day.

2) He ran 3:41 I believe in college(You probably know all this by now). He wasn't much of a miler type but he and some of those old Auburn types like Tuttle were pretty fast miler so you know they had to have been doing some fast stuff on the track

3) I heard him mention that he never strayed away from some type of speed maintenance work at any time of the year. Even if it was just some moderate 300's after a distance run. This was when he was primarily a road racer and 10k/marathoner.

Agaiin I don't know much about his coaching philosophy. Pretty soon someone else might reply here who has first hand knowledge.

Fredo,

The point of my entire response was that unless you are in the know about a specific situation you should refrain from criticizing. Robert Gary is a good coach, but the talent you can get from Ohio (guys and girls to walk-on) far exceeds the talent you can get from Alabama. Every 5-10 years a talent like Scott Fuqua comes along, but then chooses to leave the state. There are scholarship limitations and the head coach decides how the money is distributed. The Auburn women scored 41 points at the SEC meet last year so the coaching staff must have done something right for that to happen. Nobody is saying that 14:31 is all world, but only a small number of teams have lined up a 7:19 and a 7:22 4 x 800m relay so it appears that Coach Anderson was recruiting mid distance runners. That relay team had 2 guys whose PRs were mid 1:54 range before they arrived at Auburn. We also have the traditional 10 minute 2 milers who run mid 8:30s for the 3k like all the rest. There is only so much money to go around so it all comes down to where the head coach chooses to spend the scholarships. When you compete against Ark, Alabama, FL, Tenn, Kentucky who have a ton in the distance area the scale is out of balance. Take a look at the SEC results from the outdoor conference meet last year. No conference can match those results as far as depth is concerned. You should have sent your resume in if you thought that you could take the Auburn situation and do a better job. We are looking forward to working with Coach Fox, although we will miss Coach Anderson. Coach Anderson worked with Rachel Sauder (our Assistant Coach) this year and she ran PRs at 5K (15:38) and 10K (32:36), which are probably both faster marks than you ever ran so it is my opinion as a member of the team and the general consensus of the team that coach Anderson was a very good coach and given the limitations he did an excellent job. The results this Fall despite the fact that we will have a new coach will demonstrate that the previous coach recruited and developed some talent. The problem with people today is that unless you win the conf every year the coaches are not doing a good job. Stanford, N.C. State, Georgetown, Providence, etc are all programs whose head coach is also the distance coach so guess where all the money goes. You say that you open the room for discussion, but to me is appears to more just unfounded criticism. That is only one mans opinion though so take it for what it is worth.

The low down on fox:

He is the opposite of Anderson in several aspects. He really believes in high milage, not the quality over quantity. He dosent put up with crap. He will have the freshman running 70-85mpw. He likes to move 1500 type runners up to the 5k. I ran with him collegiately, and post collegiately. I talked with him last night.

AU runnner,

First of all, I'll be interested to see how Fox does, coming from his generation and all. Which is a segue to say that on a historical basis (i.e., back in the day), saying that Auburn has it tough recruiting with AL, FL, KY (?!?) is not accurate. In Fox's time, Auburn recruited just fine, granted, outside of AL, and they could do so anytime the program chose. Hopefully they will so choose. Why is the quality of runners in-state any reason to limit a program? It wasn't a limit before.

A head coach with no interest in distance is a reason for difficulties in recruiting, but on a distance website, it's just not a good one for discussion.

On other threads, it has been stated that OSU does not get the main talent out of Ohio. Gary's had a tough row to hoe from what I've heard.

AURUNNER - Do me a favor, have Chris drop me an email. He has my addy, the last one I had on him no longer works. Thanks.