Why Can't Mike Smith Coach Women at NAU to Same Level as Men?

i feel like they improved a lot under him; didn't qualify for NCAA's for years and got like 14th/12Th the past few years. They absolutely went for broke in Stillwater in the spring and died in the last mile except for O'Neill. They led the team standings at 1K and were on course for a podium until 4/5K if I remember correctly. Give them/him a couple more years.

nina_sjl wrote:

i feel like they improved a lot under him; didn't qualify for NCAA's for years and got like 14th/12Th the past few years. They absolutely went for broke in Stillwater in the spring and died in the last mile except for O'Neill. They led the team standings at 1K and were on course for a podium until 4/5K if I remember correctly. Give them/him a couple more years.

Pretty sure they didn't run Hansson who if she's healthy should be their Nr 2/3. And they tied Villanova so not a bad day for them.

I spoke too soon.. they defeated Villanova on a tie-breaker. Kudos to Mike Smith and NAU.

nina_sjl wrote:

Give them/him a couple more years.

Two or three years ago, Smith spoke at the Villanova Day of Distance Coaching Clinic. I chatted with him for a few minutes between sessions and he made a point of telling me that although their boys' team gets a ton of attention, that their girls' team would be turning heads in the next few years. He knew it wouldn't be overnight, but he seemed really happy and excited about the progress they were making as a team.

They have been in the top 10 but it was back around 2007-2008.

It's about recruiting and not coaching. Being able to recruit the best male distance runners doesn't guarantee he'll have the same success with women. Your average blue chip female athlete might have different criteria for choosing a school. For sure, choosing NAU is putting running ahead of academics.

I just received a letter from NAU regarding my daughter. They liked her tests scores and hinted about some type of scholarship. Even if they offered a full ride, I would still 100% want her to go to a U.C. here in California.

The NAU women were in 5th place at 5k last year, and their #2/3 running Pipi Eitel was injury and fell back from ~50th place to ~200th due to an injury (last 1k in 5 minutes). They would have been somewhere around 5th or 6th place, which was far better than anyone predicted otherwise. Mike Smith has really done a great job recruiting and coaching the women. The year he co-coached the team with former coach Eric Heins, the men won NCAAs, while the women were 24th at Roy Griak, so a big difference in national standing between the teams when he started.

Oh wow, sorry about the typos.

He inherited a National championship men’s team. He’s riding that wave out well. He has to do more to get the women’s team better.

Anyways guys tend to choose college more so according to their interests. Women choose college for the academics. NAU is an outdoor enthusiast and distance runners Mecca. These guys go there for that. Chicks instead are more concerned with what kind of education they provide. Since NAU is ranked low in that category the best lady recruits go elsewhere. Despite that Smith has done a very good job with the ladies. I do think he has become the best coach in the nation hands down.

This did not age well over the course of an hour

Looks like NAU sat a couple of their top women actually, which is scary (assuming they're healthy)

NAU is not where you go if you want to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. It’s where you go if you want to major in exercise science, nutrition, or recreation. Basically you want to run amongst mountains. Most talented ladies want an option to have a legit career instead.

Get Metric wrote:

NAU is not where you go if you want to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. It’s where you go if you want to major in exercise science, nutrition, or recreation. Basically you want to run amongst mountains. Most talented ladies want an option to have a legit career instead.

Now this is straight up sexist.

Kobbs Hessler wrote:

Get Metric wrote:

NAU is not where you go if you want to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. It’s where you go if you want to major in exercise science, nutrition, or recreation. Basically you want to run amongst mountains. Most talented ladies want an option to have a legit career instead.

Now this is straight up sexist.

What a snowflake. If anything it's compliment to women that they want to do well in school and sports at the same time.

Kobbs Hessler wrote:

Get Metric wrote:

NAU is not where you go if you want to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. It’s where you go if you want to major in exercise science, nutrition, or recreation. Basically you want to run amongst mountains. Most talented ladies want an option to have a legit career instead.

Now this is straight up sexist.

Nope. Not sexist. There are actual differences between men and women from a population standpoint. Progressives love to pretend both sexes are EXACTLY the same...or that sex is a social construct.

I don't think that the female recruits are avoiding NAU because of academics, because they don't avoid UNM, although granted that UNM relies heavily on foreign recruits. The reason is rather that NAU has developed a great men's team and gets attention for that, rightly so, but hasn't yet shown that Mike Smith is also a great women's coach. He is in the process of changing that perception and I expect the recruits to follow as they move closer to the podium.

The NAU women, missing several top runners, really did a fine job of bringing in six and seven way ahead of the other teams. Their seventh woman was 44th, vs. 67, 59, 94, 81, 113 for the next five teams. So, they're bunching them up and just have to get a couple top runners back and work on the top caliber recruits in the next few years and they may be top three.

NAU also had women run 21:10/17 in the open race, which would have been faster in the other race but as it stands would have been around 56th and 63rd.

Get Metric wrote:

NAU is not where you go if you want to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. It’s where you go if you want to major in exercise science, nutrition, or recreation. Basically you want to run amongst mountains. Most talented ladies want an option to have a legit career instead.

Yes, that is what grad school is for which is what is necessary for those professions. Of note, my niece received her RN from NAU and is working at the Mayo clinic.