safswefac wrote:
What is his current profession? Does he have an actual career he is giving up on to be an assistant coach? He isn't old enough to be retiring unless he made some big bucks somewhere, right?
It looks like his prior job was organizing a large annual conference at the University of Colorado.
https://www.fairviewhs.org/sites/cross-country/pages/pages-coachesAckley wrote:
safswefac wrote:
What is his current profession? Does he have an actual career he is giving up on to be an assistant coach? He isn't old enough to be retiring unless he made some big bucks somewhere, right?
It looks like his prior job was organizing a large annual conference at the University of Colorado.
WinnytheBish wrote:
CinqueMinute wrote:
Interesting side note: this could be Culpepper's entry into D1 Coaching to then take over for Wetmore as I heard he is at the end of his term shortly. Obviously Ritz is the front-runner to take over Colorado but he just had an exceptional showing at the USA Trails with the OAC that his stock has sky-rocketed. I could even see Ritz taking over if Jerry is let go or NOP moves off Julian.
Wouldn't Wetmore's wife take over?
Yeah, I don't see Burroughs just quietly stepping aside in this Buff fanboy dream scenario.
Wetmore and Burroughs aren't together anymore. Besides, her takes on body image and eating disorders are toxic to that program.
Sliding Scale wrote:
Evan Jogger wrote:
It's a better spot than UALR, where Webb is coaching.
Is it really though? No doubt, UTEP has a better history, but it is also a history that makes it much harder to bring in talented Americans. They have a well known reputation as an exclusively foreign XC program.
On top of that Little Rock is nicer (been to both) and Webb is actually running an XC program, not a second distance coach.
UTEP devotes more resources to track due to that history. I've also been to both, I wouldn't call LR "nicer" by most metrics. Both are commuter campuses in middling cities. EP has the better training climate, for what it's worth. LR is driving distance to better meets (mostly UA), for what it's worth. This really looks like an NCAA internship for Culpepper. Probably not as a path to CU yet ultimately somewhere in the SW.
My $ is on one on one of the Siemers brothers taking over, or hiring another person with the last name of Siemers to coach at CU. Total takeover of CO distance will be complete.
gretchen weiners wrote:
Wetmore and Burroughs aren't together anymore. Besides, her takes on body image and eating disorders are toxic to that program.
Wetmore pushed out Jay Johnson, he could do the same to her if he wanted to. CU has as many assistant coaches in track as they do in football, if Wetmore were interested in Culpepper's contribution based on coaching himself and then a high school team for a couple of years then he probably could have found space for him.
https://cubuffs.com/sports/track-and-field/coachessohoboho wrote:
Brain wrote:
You are questioning Culpeppers's experience for assistant xc and assistant distance?
When I was in college the only qualification you needed for assistant xc and assistant distance coach was a driver's license and bring able to clear a background check. Knowing how to use a stopwatch was a considered a bonus.
If Alan where a female (especially a minority too) he’d be in the running for the head job or director of the program. That’s how things have change.
See: Sara Slattery
And there's no way CU hires Ritz as a head coach if Wetmore retires in the next few years.
Why would Akan Culpepper chose to coach at CU if it’s not good enough for his son? Maybe there’s something about the environment at CU that he doesn’t like.
The OP wrote:
The OP wrote:
If this were a female he'd be getting ripped for lack of experience
And before you say it's because he was a pro that doesn't change anything. He has no experience.
With what? He's coached high school and privately. I love how the jealous wannabe coaches who have NEVER competed and succeeded at the elite level scream "No experience". What exact "experience" are you speaking of? Setting up hurdles? Timing workouts? Driving the team van to a meet? Handing out meal money?. This isn't rocket science! When my car breaks down, do I take it to a mechanic who knows a lot about cars, but never has fixed one? or to a mechanic who has actually fixed cars and understands how and why they work?
Hmmm...I'm a new recruit and if I had a choice of coaches which one will I pick?:
1) A Coach who knows how to work a stopwatch and time intervals and make sure athletes are in class.
or
2) A Coach who has excelled athletically in high school, college, and professionally. Reached the highest level of athletic achievement by representing his/her country in the Olympic Games and World Championships.
Experience is a HUGE factor, the other stuff can be learned and taught as you go. Read it in a book (or online)? or live it in real life?. The key factor here is the ability to communicate with young adults and mentor them through their collegiate years not only athletically but also in life. A young athlete who respects and trusts his/her coach is going to be successful more times than not.
I always kinda wondered.....
All these pro runners have college degrees. Do they all have a BS in Exercise Science/Physiology so coaching is kind of their only option post-career?
I know there was Bob Kempainen....who was pre-med while winning the '96 Olympic Trials. He's a doctor now.
Alan
Figaro wrote:
gretchen weiners wrote:
Wetmore and Burroughs aren't together anymore. Besides, her takes on body image and eating disorders are toxic to that program.
Wetmore pushed out Jay Johnson, he could do the same to her if he wanted to. CU has as many assistant coaches in track as they do in football, if Wetmore were interested in Culpepper's contribution based on coaching himself and then a high school team for a couple of years then he probably could have found space for him.
https://cubuffs.com/sports/track-and-field/coaches
Jay made his own bed when he ran his mouth to Ceal Barry after CU won the big 12 outdoor meet in Boulder in 2008. Barry was the assistant ad at the time.
----------- wrote:
https://www.fairviewhs.org/sites/cross-country/pages/pages-coachesAckley wrote:
It looks like his prior job was organizing a large annual conference at the University of Colorado.
Was that Cruz’s high school or a rival school?
cuoped wrote:
----------- wrote:
https://www.fairviewhs.org/sites/cross-country/pages/pages-coachesWas that Cruz’s high school or a rival school?
Cruz went to Niwot HS, in an uber-wealthy snooty country club pocket outside of Boulder. Same school Elise Cranny graduated from. In a different school district and in a different CHSAA class than Fairview, so not exactly a rival.
He wrote a book, "Run Like a Champion", covering the basics in an easy to understand form.
I think Culpeper spent his early years in El Paso. This may make more sense than meets the eye.
Aouita 84 wrote:
With what? He's coached high school and privately. I love how the jealous wannabe coaches who have NEVER competed and succeeded at the elite level scream "No experience". What exact "experience" are you speaking of? Setting up hurdles? Timing workouts? Driving the team van to a meet? Handing out meal money?. This isn't rocket science! When my car breaks down, do I take it to a mechanic who knows a lot about cars, but never has fixed one? or to a mechanic who has actually fixed cars and understands how and why they work?
Hmmm...I'm a new recruit and if I had a choice of coaches which one will I pick?:
1) A Coach who knows how to work a stopwatch and time intervals and make sure athletes are in class.
or
2) A Coach who has excelled athletically in high school, college, and professionally. Reached the highest level of athletic achievement by representing his/her country in the Olympic Games and World Championships.
Experience is a HUGE factor, the other stuff can be learned and taught as you go. Read it in a book (or online)? or live it in real life?. The key factor here is the ability to communicate with young adults and mentor them through their collegiate years not only athletically but also in life. A young athlete who respects and trusts his/her coach is going to be successful more times than not.
Hmm. Not a coach or a wannabe coach, but this just seems off.
I know nothing at all about Culpepper’s ability to coach or lead young people, but if I had to choose someone who was a seasoned coach vs someone random who was once an Uber elite athlete but never an actual coach, I’m going the former all day.
I hope AC turns out great and helps to revamp that program, but the guy I’m replying to is implying that he’s the man for the job based solely on his own running successes. If that were the case everyone would be going to Little Rock to run for the other Alan.
Totally agree... this may be a naive take, but he didn't have enough experience or knowledge to coach his own son, correct? He had Bosshard coaching him for a while. Just because you were highly successful at something doesn't make you a good coach. Most of the best college coaches in the game right now were modest to good college runners compared to Culpepper (Mike Smith, Ben Thomas, Mark Wetmore, Rob Conner, Ryan Vanhoy, Andy Powell, Sean Carlson, Chris Miltenberg, Vin Lananna, etc.).
The days of Paul Ereng are numbered. Culpeper is hungry and driven. He will do what Ereng could not. He will bring the distance program back to the glory days of Ted Banks.
If Culpepper can recruit top US kids to El Paso then he's truly next level and deserves major credit. In all likelihood, Culpepper isn't staying there longer than two years there before leapfrogging to a better gig, like Trevor Dunbar has.