Worrying about Chris' recruiting at Florida doesn't matter anymore. Do you think being contacted by Jerry/Shalane/Chris in their current situation (hosting IAAF, world class stadium, immediate professional opportunities, NLI favorability, etc.) at Oregon are going to have a hard time getting who they want? Jerry built great teams at Wisconsin with less help. I would expect Chris to adapt well under his leadership.
The men's XC team at florida was bad. This is most definitely concerning, though I still believe Solisnky will be a solid coach at UO. Being able to talk to many recruits at once and be personable is hugely important, even at a top program. You think NAU would be so dominant if their coach wasn't outspoken and personable? I don't, and hopefully Solinsky gets his act together. All the posts aboyut not even replying to top HS talent at FL is most concerning.
…she would have to want to be on a real XC team and not just a solo runner. Does she even want that?
Based on her interviews, and the situation(s) at the time she entered college, there were probably factors (like school proximity, etc.) that took precedent over being on ‘a real XC team’. It may have been nice. We typically pick and choose and prioritize a list of ‘wants’. At the time, it seems she was unsure whether she liked track or XC more.
Unlike a HS phenom, it seems she came in as a bit of an prospect with unknown potential, and probably the biggest benefit to her success was learning it takes a lot of hard work that can pay off.
The men's XC team at florida was bad. This is most definitely concerning, though I still believe Solisnky will be a solid coach at UO. Being able to talk to many recruits at once and be personable is hugely important, even at a top program. You think NAU would be so dominant if their coach wasn't outspoken and personable? I don't, and hopefully Solinsky gets his act together. All the posts aboyut not even replying to top HS talent at FL is most concerning.
Mike Smith was a solid coach at Georgetown, but would anyone have imagined he'd lead a team to winning 6 of 7 NCAA XC titles?
No one was writing books about Mark Wetmore when he was at Seton Hall.
There are some spots where you are just the best version of your coaching self. Many of us thought that spot for Chris would be at Wisconsin (or elsewhere in the Midwest) but he'll be pretty darn well situated in Eugene.
Worrying about Chris' recruiting at Florida doesn't matter anymore. Do you think being contacted by Jerry/Shalane/Chris in their current situation (hosting IAAF, world class stadium, immediate professional opportunities, NLI favorability, etc.) at Oregon are going to have a hard time getting who they want? Jerry built great teams at Wisconsin with less help. I would expect Chris to adapt well under his leadership.
What ‘NLI favorability’? (Someone earlier here even said Nike didn’t want to do NIL, and there has been discussion here over the years on Nike’s low-balling athletes. And of course, there is the black-eye on BTC with the athlete doping bust.)
Mike Smith was a solid coach at Georgetown, but would anyone have imagined he'd lead a team to winning 6 of 7 NCAA XC titles?
No one was writing books about Mark Wetmore when he was at Seton Hall.
There are some spots where you are just the best version of your coaching self. Many of us thought that spot for Chris would be at Wisconsin (or elsewhere in the Midwest) but he'll be pretty darn well situated in Eugene.
For some reason here, the benefits that coaches reap from being situated at altitude seem to get frequently glossed over or ignored, when in actuality, it is a HUGE factor impacting success.
For some reason here, the benefits that coaches reap from being situated at altitude seem to get frequently glossed over or ignored, when in actuality, it is a HUGE factor impacting success.
For some reason here, the benefits that coaches reap from being situated at altitude seem to get frequently glossed over or ignored, when in actuality, it is a HUGE factor impacting success.
I would much rather look out my window and see Boulder or Flagstaff compared to Stillwater or Ames, that's for damn sure.
Solinsky's adaptation for Valby makes me think that the Ducks won't just be a survival of the fittest like BTC has been thought to be. It might allow a smoother transition into Jerry's training program.
It's a lot easier to personalize training when you only have one good athlete. Valby would get a lot of attention now at Oregon (or anywhere) because she's so good, but even marginal All-Americans (40-60s at NCAA XC) or marginal NCAA finalists will be cannon fodder at Oregon just like they've always been.
She has just a few days left to enter the current Transfer Portal. Assuming she stays at Florida for now, then that means potentially proceeding with indoor and outdoor with some coaching uncertainty. A key going forward, in the near term, is transitioning info on her current program to the new coach. What about those ‘coach assistants’ Solinsky mentioned on one of the video interviews? How in-tune with her training were they?
My money says she stays at Florida for now. Maybe she follows Solinsky to Oregon over the summer before outdoors or XC, but she would have to want to be on a real XC team and not just a solo runner. Does she even want that? In either case, she has an in now with BTC. BTC would be the biggest reason to go.
BTC seems to be disjointed almost forgotten by Schumacher.
Athletes have been leaving, support staff have also been leaving.
Wonder what Nike Sports Marketing thinks and is willing to do.
Other posters pointed out that the vast majority of good Florida runners went elsewhere. Florida is a great school and has the best track team in the country. Most instate runners want to run there. The data suggests that Solinsky does not do a good job recruiting.
FL is track-based sprint and jumps school. Clearly that’s where they put scholarship $ and use roster spots. I’m sure most of the top HS distance kids in FL know this and look elsewhere. Tough to draw conclusions on Solinsky’s ability to recruit in this environment.
Moreover, the Florida distance kids also know that it really bites to train for distance in Florida, where it is absolutely miserable for distance runners from the end of February to November. Why wouldn't the best of them head for Oregon (Harrison), Stanford (Hicks, Wells), and other greener trails?
The distance program can be way better with a better coach, how many kids above 800 excelled the last 4 years? Not 1 boy in the 10k or 3k steeple at 2022 SECs, 2 in the 5k and 2 in the 1500 (both over 3:50). Parker would run fast with Holloway coaching her
That’s what hiring the popular name gets you. Instead, hire someone who is used to not having much and can grind. There’s many coaches out there that’ll do very well if given the opportunity, we just don’t know their names well enough to shout em out on here. If you’re used to having scholarships and buying talent you won’t do well at UF.
Well said. I don't think there's enough to determine whether Solinsky is a good coach or not. I think there's merit in where he got Valby, but the fact that she is an outlier in terms of training skews interpretation. It's very hard to recruit when you're working with maybe 2 full scholarships and you live in a state where the weather isn't complimentary to distance training. You can't force a 9:20 HS 2 miler to go on to run 13:30 if it's just not in the cards. We sit here and praise coaches on programs who predominately put their scholarships in distance like money isn't a factor in recruiting and then there's the altitude factor with NAU, CU, BYU. True coaching assessments require a lot of context.
The men's XC team at florida was bad. This is most definitely concerning, though I still believe Solisnky will be a solid coach at UO. Being able to talk to many recruits at once and be personable is hugely important, even at a top program. You think NAU would be so dominant if their coach wasn't outspoken and personable? I don't, and hopefully Solinsky gets his act together. All the posts aboyut not even replying to top HS talent at FL is most concerning.
Mike Smith was a solid coach at Georgetown, but would anyone have imagined he'd lead a team to winning 6 of 7 NCAA XC titles?
No one was writing books about Mark Wetmore when he was at Seton Hall.
There are some spots where you are just the best version of your coaching self. Many of us thought that spot for Chris would be at Wisconsin (or elsewhere in the Midwest) but he'll be pretty darn well situated in Eugene.
Smith led 5 of 6, he was handed a XC national champs team before he took over.
Some spots? Like Flagstaff or Boulder. Smith or Wetmore weren't better versions of their coaching selves because they took jobs at altitude with amazing running trails. The athletes are just better versions of themselves relative to if they were training at sea level on asphalt everyday.
FL is track-based sprint and jumps school. Clearly that’s where they put scholarship $ and use roster spots. I’m sure most of the top HS distance kids in FL know this and look elsewhere. Tough to draw conclusions on Solinsky’s ability to recruit in this environment.
Moreover, the Florida distance kids also know that it really bites to train for distance in Florida, where it is absolutely miserable for distance runners from the end of February to November. Why wouldn't the best of them head for Oregon (Harrison), Stanford (Hicks, Wells), and other greener trails?
To say it is "absolutely miserable... from the end of February to November" is an over-reach. It is true that in North Florida from mid-May to Octoberish running in the afternoons is not advisable. During the summer, if runners are from Florida and don't like it, they can always travel and train like many collegians do. That leaves during the competition seasons the month of May and the 1st couple months of XC to deal with - and many coaches in the south simply move workouts to am runs before the heat/humidity become oppressive. It isn't that big of a deal. So staying home in Florida to run is totally doable.