Ohio State University Head Track & Field coach to Retire

like the kool aid man says "ooohhh yeahhh"

Norbert Elliot the assistant at Tenn. is the front runner they are looking at.

What about Butch Reynolds or Mark Croghan as possible coahces??

ohio2 wrote:

What about Butch Reynolds or Mark Croghan as possible coahces??

It would be tough to 'get a look' without head coaching experience. Butch is getting constant praise from both players and coaches with the football program, & is probably making more money with more options in that area. Both are good people deserving consideration at least as an assistant.

No more talk of Crogan getting a position unless Gary walks out for some reason. People need to realize the job Gary did over the last 9 years; the Buckeyes used to suck and Gary took less than 3 scholarships and made them a consistent top 20 Cross team. Before that, they were bottom of the Big 10! I don't think Gary is ready for a head job there, but he sure as heck deserves to continue as head cross coach. They get a decent sprints and jumps coach in a head coach and another assistant and you have an awesome staff. Crogan is a better runner, Gary a much, much better coach. End of facts!

Split program!

My guess is Darryl Anderson from TCU for the Men's job. The new AD at OSU is from Arizoza State (a definite connection to D.A. and knows the low risk - high reward of hiring Darryl). It will be tough for Darryl to make that move though (short time at TCU), but I would guess he will definitely get a real shot, if he wants it.

The women's job I am guessing would go through Connie Price-Smith at SIU-C. She will be tough to beat, again if she wants it. Her husband John has coached there and they should still be positively connected to the program.

OSU has top 6-7 resources (facilities, travel budget, recruiting budget, salaries, etc.). They are the top of the Big 10. Columbus has so much to offer, also. Any coach's spouse will be able to find great employment and great schools for their family. There would be very, very few coaches who would turn this down if they truly had the opportunity to take it.

Don't be surprised if this is a "stealth" hire, handled very much like a football or basketball coach (i.e. a "one man search committee"). You don't apply to become the Head Football Coach at OSU. Don't call OSU, if they have an interest, they'll call you (and it will be kept confiential)...

If Gary would go after it hard, he'd have a shot. When he gets talking passionately about his beloved Buckeyes, it'd be tough for an AD to turn away a 2 time Olympian, OSU alum, and this fall's Regional cross country coach of the year. I to am unsure if Gary would be interested in the head job?

What about Bill Gallagher the former Ashland University coach? He is an OSU alum and after "retiring" from Ashland has not been heard of. Could he possibly be in the running? Would he want the position?

Remember that Ohio State doesn't give 2 squirts of piss about anything other than football. But with that revunue source I'm sure their are more than a few well-known track coaches salivating at getting a shot at that job. That athletic department is probably top 3 money wise in the country. And Columbus is a nice town and very affordable.

I know Russ got hired in an gave the program a boost over Zubavich, but he also walked into a situation where he had one of the greatest in-state recruiting classes with Chris Nelloms, Robert Smith, Arone Payne, and then Crogahn exploded. Nonetheless he won Big 10 titles and give him some credit.

I also have heard second hand the stories about him not recruiting and practicing his golf shot during practice in the French Field House.

If Gary agrees to take on the job of head coach and they are willing to pay the money to retain assistants that are solid that would what I would see happening. And Connie Price Smith- for the Womans job. Just my prediction.

If they were really serious about getting a winning program they would hire a distance man or throws coach. Its the Big Ten. Tressel doesn't let his football players run track and despite the talent, all sprinters that are NCAA caliber always head south.

I'm sure Gallagher would be a nice candidate. But he isn't a current coach so he's out. One or two years away from coaching, no shot at a job like this. Going on observation.

Tressel really respecrs Gary and that can't hurt. Russ and how comically unorganized he is is why Tressel doesn't let his football players out for track.

Dispatch article today said they were going to hire a men and a women coach

Link to the Dispatch article please?

I would think that if Gary is not offered or does not want head job, that a sprint coach or throws coach would be the most logical for the position. Connie Price-Smith would be a good catch (again).

maybe Mamie would come back. no forget that!

al coholic wrote:

i hope roger kingdom gets the job.

sure, why not?

For those of you who are googlely challenged..

I think Robert Gary would have to stop competing in order to handle everything. If he is the Head XC/Track and Field Coach it is going to be more than a full-time job. He will get some running in, but real training and competition travel is probably not going to work (nor allowed). I think he'll have to choose, but hopefully, if he wants it, he is allowed to make his own choice. I think he has a very good thing going right now. He has a great handle on the structure and responsibilities of just having XC (distance runners on the track) and I would bet he is doing okay financially by the time he puts everything together. Again, I would think he will have an opportunity to pursue this, but is it what he really wants?

I disagree about OSU not caring about anything but football. A school like OSU is big enough to give football as much anyone gives football and still have resources and attention for other sports (the new AD, Smith, is much more this way than Geiger was). Football may be the top 10 priorities in the department, but they have the personnel and resources to still have 15 more priorities (think about this - their women's basketball program has to overspend by $2 million dollars a year to meet Title IX requirements - offset Football/Men's Basketball).

Now I am not going to say it goes all the way to XC/Track, but they obviously have made a plan already, because they have already announced they are restructuring the program.

These positions will set the tone for this summer's job market. Who ever gets them, the dominoes will move behind these two jobs.

OSU would do well to hire a coach who would give them cause to give a bigger shit about track and field. I can't really recall anyone who has held the job that really did it as well as it should be done.

I can't imagine Robert wanting to be the head coach of track, but I agree that he would have to stop competing in order to handle both effectively.