Nico Young + Swoosh TC, Brand Mismatch or Bad Idea

When Mike Smith said in the RW article that Nike would still let him coach Luis and Nico, athletes sponsored by other brands while he’s paid by Nike, it raised a red flag. That phrasing hinted at a deeper problem, and I never thought the arrangement would be sustainable.

This is conflict of interest, not about a coach, but a brand conflict.

It’s hard to explain how a 12:45 athlete isn’t even in the top 20. I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but something clearly isn’t lining up

Here is the article:

runnersworld.com

Northern Arizona University Coach Mike Smith Will Become a Nike Coach in 2025

His current pros who represent other shoe companies will be allowed to continue training with him for as long as their deals last with those brands.

Open link

I vote “bad idea”

Lol too early to tell no many how many usernames you post this nonsense under.

“These athletes will be “grandfathered” in and have the option to continue with him as their coach during the life of their current deals with their brands, but once those deals expire, they must be Nike athletes to continue training with him”

In the long run, being “grandfathered” into a Nike-funded group while running for another brand isn’t a stable or athlete-first setup

Nico is obviously not racing to his ability, but blaming it on Smith being a Nike coach is laughable.

This isn’t an attack or an accusation, just an honest observation. Nico is arguably the next great American talent, so people are going to talk about his setup. It’s opinion, not bad talking points.

It’s not blame, it’s context. Nico changed environments, not just coaches. Since joining a Nike funded group where he’s not the priority brand wise, his trajectory has stalled. You can dismiss that, but the timing is hard to ignore.

It’s both an opinion AND talking points spammed by the same weirdo over and over.

Isn’t he living and training in the same town? What Nike athletes are on Smith’s team? Seems he is doing nothing different. Probably took a long break after the games. Was Young ever a great XC runner?

With all due respect, yes, that’s exactly the point of this discussion. The change was that Mike Smith became a Nike paid coach, and Nico an adidas athlete, started training in a Nike-funded group by permission. That’s the variable everyone is talking about.
Since that move, Nico hasn’t progressed, while teammates in the same environment have improved. That doesn’t mean anyone did anything wrong, and it’s not an attack, it’s an observation. When the only major change is the training ecosystem and brand alignment, it’s fair to question whether the setup is actually serving Nico. That’s what this thread is about.

This is it. Under Smith, he ran 12:51 indoors and 12:45 outdoors. Nico has always been talented but never an XC champion. He also likely took a break after Tokyo. Just like Blanks, who has only been training since mid-to-late October.

The “change” went into effect in Sept? At the beginning of his break? If earlier it didn’t hurt his track season which was spectacular.

the same people who think Nico Young is toast thought Grant Fisher was going to win the World Championships 10000 based on his fitness last February. It doesn't matter how fit you are in January/February. Nico will be fine.

There’s nothing special about M. Smith, Nico is the star. AlSal was better than Smith.

why is everyone saying Nico is toast because he couldn't jump over a bunch of fake alligators faster than other runners. he's fine and working with Smith is the best decision he ever made. look at his resume since becoming a pro. Olympics, Worlds, Diamond League wins, records.