Is Ed Eyestone next?

Curious, what do you guys think is going to happen to the NCAA/college running in the next few years based on recent developments? Has the system changed to the point where there's absolutely no going back? Will revenue sports split while nonrevenue sports go back to the current arrangement with [dramatically] less funding? Will college running turn into a club system where there's no athletic scholarships/school support?

Great questions. I think all that uncertainty is why it might make sense for someone like him to leave. He’s 63 now. At that age, would you want to be dealing with an uncertain future, or would you want to secure a sure thing and focus on helping American pros get ready for LA 2028?

Imagine you commit to one of these schools because of their great coaches and then they leave...

Eyestone won't leave BYU. He can balance coaching some pros on the side, but BYU is not like other universities. They have no funding issues and give all sports the resources that they need to thrive. Most of the athletes are LDS and this is THE school that they wish to attend. Eyestone and Diljeet Taylor don't have to do much recruiting and that allows them the time and the energy to coach some pros on the side. It's a nearly perfect gig and both would be foolish to leave for the cutthroat world of full-time pro coaching.

It’s amazing how little recruiting Eyestone has to do. He sometimes has an assistant work hard at it, but mostly he can just wait for the elite Mormon kids who want to come to BYU to sort themselves out.

For the 2025 class, there are probably 9-10 elites who could go almost anywhere who would commit to BYU if offered. With the new rules most schools probably have to max at 4-5 in any class. He just needs to send an occasional text to let them know they haven’t been dropped (yet) and wait to see by mid season who the top ones are.

Nothing new. It has happened in all sports under the NCAA umbrella over the past 100+ years.

Great points. I saw the news that Keira D’Amato joined his group. If he stays at BYU, I wonder if he’ll add more pros.

runnersworld.com

Marathoner Keira D’Amato Makes Coaching Change

The former U.S. record-holder will be part of a team that has produced four 2024 Olympians.

Open link

Difference between Eyestone and Smith is that pretty much all of Eyestone's pros were BYU guys.

Seems like a major draw to the BYU system knowing that should you attempt to make a pro career you will have his support throughout the entire thing.

Young had almost 0 success and very limited potential as a pro in his first few showings, yet he and Eyestone both stuck with it and look where he is.

Eyestone seems to benefit from developing a long term coaching relationship with runners from college and in to the pros.

Probably no better feeling than watching a 30 year old who you have coached for literally 12-13 years finally get it all right and become an Olympian.

Would be shocked if he leaves.

Happens basically every year in the NCAA.

Recent examples like Tennessee, UCLA, Duke. If you don't have a high profile coach stepping in, your program just collapses the moment athletes can escape.

The only big change is the 17 roster limit. Tough for Eyestone, as he has easily filled big teams.

With the ncaa hoops tourney TV contract and the payout to former players going till 2033, radical change can't come til then.

By then the p4 may just leave ncaa. Then you would have:

P4

D1

D2&3.

There will still be xc & track, just different.

a much different situation. being part of the LDS system makes recruiting easier. and like Smith is connected to Flagstaff, Eyestone/Taylor want to stay in Provo which limits their pros to former BYU athletes and mormons. imagine Nikki Hiltz or Nico Young living full time in Provo.

but the good news is there's a never ending pipeline of LDS runners and every so often one is good enough to go pro so they'll always have pro runners to coach.

Eyestone won’t go anywhere.

By the way, he was rockin’ Reebok when Reebok was cool. He’s old school.

I think Diljeet Taylor could lead NAU. She’s an amazing coach, who deserves a program like NAU!

Uhm, this happened for incoming freshman at NAU 8 years ago.

Good point, dumb comment on my part... Only difference is that all the good coaches are threatening to leave all at ones.

I think the Mormon Church wants him to stay so he won't be getting bought out anytime soon.

most schools with great head coaches have great assistants behind them as well. cornfield has been in flagstaff as long as mike smith has. i wouldn’t expect to see much regression out of them.

And Clayton Young will be a Nike athlete in his next contract. So will Dakotah Lindwurm and Zach Panning.