Help wanted: USATF is hiring a new relays coach. If Carl Lewis doens't apply, maybe you should

Totally agree abou King Carl putting his money where his mouth ALWAYS is! Dude is always the first one to criticize when the relays go poorly.

With all of the money, scheduling issues, and internal politics handcuffing the relay coach(es) over the last 20+ years, I'm not sure who could be successful but Carl constantly throwing the relays coach under the bus is a bad look. If he can make it all work, I will give him a lot of credit.

One of the stipulations is you cannot be a personal coach to an athlete that is in the relay pool. Conflict of interest for giving your own athletes spots on relays. Carl would need to recuse himself of collegiate coaching, which will not happen. It is also a terrible, seemingly lose-lose job. No big named college or pro sprint coaches will be considered.

Why don't you know and why don't you apply?

The success or failure of a relay doesnt come down to one coach. Its always on 4 athletes willing to work together. We dont always have that. Plenty of talent, only so many plays in the playbook. Get 4 fast guys that want to be a team. Not 4 independent premadonnas.

This seems like a bull***t job. The relays fail not because of the coach rather, because of the way that we select our our squads and how they all train in different camps. We get them together for a week or so at the meet and then expect a bunch of competing preening egos to become proficient with a few hours of work.

How about selecting a pool of our 6-10 best NCAA D1 runners in the 100 and 400 in championship years and then sending them to a relay camp right after the collegiate champs? Their job is to train together and master the relay as a team. The pool may lose a few members to individual events at the trials but, we would still have very formidable squads that can compete for medals.

I like when we think outside the box or in this case the relay zone. The bottom line is how the US can get a baton around the track faster than other countries. Using the four to six fastest finishers from our Olympic Trials has not been a success for a variety of reasons. There needs to be a commitment to developing a National Relay Team in both the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400s. One which demands a commitment from our best sprinters to meet and compete throughout the Olympic & World Championship years. This squad would compete at the World Relays, Penn Relays, Mt SAC, etc. -- Any changes to the final six members should be decided prior to the Olympic Trials. Yes I hear the naysayers claiming that such a plan would exclude the exciting newcomers that have breakthroughs at the trials. You're right it would for that breakthrough year, but that athlete would see the rewards of making a commitment for the following championship year. Lastly, athletes that make this commitment should be financially supported.

Get those 1/2 cut tennis balls and athletic tape ready! ROCK!

Mel Rosen took control of the relay squad ego’s in ‘92. Is there anyone with that credibility still around? Clyde Hart, perhaps?

4 x 100m is a team sport with specific positions requiring different abilities, like positions in soccer.

Sprinters need to determine the best position on the relay for their ability early and commit to that position.

Lead off: great starter and great turn runner, good for shorter guy like Colman

Back Straight: great stick handler (two exchanges) taller long sprinter with long strides, able to handle pressure and chaos, like Carl Lewis

3rd leg: most difficult leg in relay, two exchanges and on the curve, great stick handler and great curve runner, able to perform under high pressure, like Michael Johnson

Anchor: able to control nerves and get the job done right under pressure and expectations, taller long striding sprinter able to come from behind or stretch the lead, like Bolt

Sprinters dedicate career to a position, college and pro.

Team is picked by position from top ten or so guys in 100m trials. Sprinters must designate position they are trying earn and have proven experience and success at that position.

One slight problem --

"NOCs may enter one (1) team for each relay event. A total of five (5) athletes may be

entered for a relay team. Should an NOC have entered a relay team and individual

athletes in the corresponding individual event (100m and 400m), the entered individual

athletes must be included in the total of five (5) athletes entered for the relay events. In

addition, NOCs can nominate a maximum of one (1) P alternate athlete for each team. "

PoisonIvy wrote:

Totally agree abou King Carl putting his money where his mouth ALWAYS is! Dude is always the first one to criticize when the relays go poorly.

With all of the money, scheduling issues, and internal politics handcuffing the relay coach(es) over the last 20+ years, I'm not sure who could be successful but Carl constantly throwing the relays coach under the bus is a bad look. If he can make it all work, I will give him a lot of credit.

“I will give him a lot of credit” 😂😂😂 King Carl says thanks and he’ll be forever grateful

Although Carl Lewis does, at times, have the Mouth that Roared, his criticism as a uniquely knowledgeable champion is absolutely valid, even if it pisses people off (as long as he doesn't try to SING to get his points across.) He is justified in being a vocal critic, and if he doesn't "put his money where his mouth is" by being a national relays coach, his point of view will still be of tremendous importance.

Good point - That is why the suggestion is thinking outside the box/relay zone. This requirement "must be" is restrictive and doesn't appear to be followed when the women's 4 x400 was run at Tokyo. Two Americans that ran in the finals were not entries in the women's 400 meters.

retired OC coach wrote:

Good point - That is why the suggestion is thinking outside the box/relay zone. This requirement "must be" is restrictive and doesn't appear to be followed when the women's 4 x400 was run at Tokyo. Two Americans that ran in the finals were not entries in the women's 400 meters.

Anyone who is entered in any other event is eligible to run on the relay under those rules, thus McLaughlin and Muhammad. You just can't have four people who aren't in the 100 or other events for your relay.

I understand your point but the rule as stated says that there are 5 athletes and the 3 entered individual athletes (corresponding individual event) must be included in the total of five (5) athletes entered for the relay events. The final 4 x400 squad was made up of Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad, Athing Mu and Allyson Felix. Therefore, 3 of that final relay team were not among the entered individual athletes in the corresponding individual event, the 400 meters. The 3 entered individuals OTC Quanera Hayes, Allyson Felix & Madeline Jonathas according to the rule must be included in the five athletes which means only two others from the relay pool (Kendal Ellis, Lyna Irby, Kaylin Whitney) or other events can finish out the 5 eligible athletes. Simply the math doesn't work for the rule to have been enforced.

retired OC coach wrote:

I understand your point but the rule as stated says that there are 5 athletes and the 3 entered individual athletes (corresponding individual event) must be included in the total of five (5) athletes entered for the relay events. The final 4 x400 squad was made up of Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad, Athing Mu and Allyson Felix. Therefore, 3 of that final relay team were not among the entered individual athletes in the corresponding individual event, the 400 meters. The 3 entered individuals OTC Quanera Hayes, Allyson Felix & Madeline Jonathas according to the rule must be included in the five athletes which means only two others from the relay pool (Kendal Ellis, Lyna Irby, Kaylin Whitney) or other events can finish out the 5 eligible athletes. Simply the math doesn't work for the rule to have been enforced.

Point being -- a nation that has full entries in the 100 or 400 can't just throw in 4 more folks to run that relay (4x100 or 4x400) if they aren't already either in the relay pool or in another individual event.

USA 400 meters entrants were:

Quanera Hayes

Allyson Felix

Wadeline Jonathas

Kendall Ellis (alternate)

USA 4x400 relay pool:

Lynna Irby

Kaylin Whitney

OTHERS USED (all were entered in an individual event)

Mu -- 800 entrant

McLaughlin -- 400H entrant

Muhammad -- 400H entrant