The job has finally been posted on the OSU site. Who knows of any serious candidates?
The job has finally been posted on the OSU site. Who knows of any serious candidates?
Mike Johnson, the fomer coach at UP, UW, and Boise State. He has played a major role in getting the program going and I would be very surprised if he didn't get the job.
Who else is a candidate?
you're asking a question like that on a board that has been ripe with so many wrong rumors from 22 year olds with nothing else to do???
They've had Lee Evans as the coach at FSU, Jerry Clayton being hired at Illinois, Layne Anderson as Illinois distance coach to name a few off the top of my head.
Only one that has been right has been Lannana going to Oberlin.
Where is the job posted?
I'm not sure if my information is correct but I heard that the program wasn't going to be funded much the first year or two (no scholarships) and that they were gradually going to build from there. No doubt, Mike Johnson would be great but I wonder if he (or any other quality coach) would take on the program under those conditions. You would certainly need some $$$ to be competitive in that conference!
Got the impression that they wanted to hire a woman.
Where was this job posted? I think it would be great to have a program back at Oregon State. Please more information on this subject would be great.
You are right. It is likely that a woman will be hired to coach at Oregon State University. The entire reason for bring back track and cross country (for women only) is to fulfill gender-equity. Too darn many football players throwing the male numbers too high. The university will want to look good in the eyes of all the big-pushers of equity for males and females, so it goes to reason that a female coach will be part of the mix to satisfy critics. It really sucks if you are a qualified male coach, though, I think.
Mike Johnson just took the job as Head Coach at Western Oregon. It would look pretty cheesy if he now applied for the OSU job. On another note, didn't he get fired from his three previous D-1 jobs? On yet another note, please explain why he is considered to be a great coach. List examples.
I was not aware of that, hell I have no idea now. Thanks for the info.
Mike Johnson will ruin Western Oregon's Track Team. Look at his record at Washington and Boise State. He was run out on a rail.
I challenge you to find one of his athletes that thinks he will be great. Can't be done...
I heard the OSU job is just a front to appease the Title IX gods. No scholarships...what does that tell you?
Maybe they should see if Wayne Angel wants to take the job. After all, he is the hottest name right now!!!
Ludacris: "my grandma could have coached a XC team to the WCC title, and she is primarily a shot and disc specialist."
great line...
ORDUDE wrote:
Mike Johnson will ruin Western Oregon's Track Team. Look at his record at Washington and Boise State. He was run out on a rail.
I challenge you to find one of his athletes that thinks he will be great. Can't be done...
I heard the OSU job is just a front to appease the Title IX gods. No scholarships...what does that tell you?
In 1981 Mike Johnson coached me to 10th at the Junior World XC Championships in Madrid. As a sophomore at University of Portland I ran 29:13.
I thought he was a good coach. Transferred to Oregon because Euegene was ther place to be in the early 80s and Bill Dellinger is a great coach.
ORDUDE, ask and ye shall receive. You wrote. ?I challenge you to find one of his athletes that thinks he will be great. Can't be done...? DONE. ?Truth? you wanted examples. Read on.
I have made this statement hundreds of times since Mike Johnson arrived at the UW in January of 1986. ?Mike Johnson is the greatest thing that ever happen to me at the University of Washington, on and off the track, inside and outside the classroom.?
Certainly not everyone has shared that opinion. I?ve had my own differences of opinion with him. However, after knowing him personally for 18 years (and of him for two more years prior to that) I acknowledged the positive influence that he had over my athletic career and education by dedicating my book, Encyclopedia of International Games (McFarland 2003), to him. That project was an outgrowth of my experiences at the World University Games in 1987, an experience that never would have happened without the guidance of Mike Johnson. Off the track, Mike Johnson was very influential in my decision to further my education with a masters degree.
I rarely waste my time in these types of forum discourses (this thread was pointed out to me by another runner familiar with my career as an athlete under Mike Johnson), finding ?contributions? by entities such as ORDUDE, Ludacris, and ?Truth? to be of quite limited intellectual value.
However, when cowards such as the three mentioned above, cloaked in anonymity, want to enter into forums such as this and attempt to savage a real individual, using that individuals real name, whatever the motive, it warrants a response of the highest measure, especially if those individuals are clearly ignorant of both the history and accomplishments of the coach and the programs he has been involved with.
Mike Johnson has worked tirelessly for the sports of cross country and track and field for the better parts of three decades now, and has continued during his time in the state of Oregon, to coach and promote the sport in ways that must people are completely unaware.
Mike Johnson is passionate about the sport and, how the sport should be treated and respected, and has high standards for those he coaches in the sport. He also does not suffer fools. This has placed him many times in positions in which his desire, dedication, goals and aspirations have far outstripped those around him. Mike Johnson is perhaps the only person ever to have had higher goals for me, than I had set for myself. Mike Johnson prides himself in excellence, and simply had higher goals than those around him. He was able to accomplish what he has in environments that unfortunately were not structured to go as fast or as far as Mike Johnson wanted them to.
As far as a list of accomplishments, some coaches have accomplished more, some less. For starters:
-NAIA National Champions University of Portland Women 1985
-Five time NAIA District II Cross Country Coach of the Year
-Two-time District II Track and Field Coach of the Year.
-U Portland men 8 time West Coast Conference champions
-1989 Pac-10 cross-country champions women
-1993 Pac-10 cross-country champions men
-Three time Pac-10 coach of the year.
-Four time NCAA Western Region Coach of the Year
-Numerous NCAA appearances Men and Women
-Six All-Americans at Boise State during his three seasons in Idaho
Mike Johnson took a team that was decimated by the former coaching environment and in his second season at University of Washington had a 3:39 1500 runner and 8:32 steeplechaser, both who won Pac-10 Championships and were All-Americans, and set school records that still stand.
I was only fortunate enough to be coached by Mike Johnson for one cross-country season and two track seasons. I?ve wondered on occasion what might have been possible had he been my coach for my entire college career. During those two seasons I won a Pac-10 Championship, was an NCAA All-American, World University Games finalist and Olympic Trials finalist. I owe the vast majority of that to the guidance of Mike Johnson. The failures that I had during that period, and were entirely my own.
As far as the Oregon State position. A few of the facts stated in previous posts are correct, (the new program will be women only, and no scholarships for the first year, by design, with obvious intentions to grow) but the reasons are wildly incorrect. It?s fun to play wild guessing games, but it?s a waste of time.
Mike Johnson has been a good coach for three decades. In my recent discussions with him, I know that he has continued to learn and grow and educate himself about physiology, bio-mechanics and other aspects of the sport to the point where I have no doubt that he is a far more knowledgeable coach now than he was when coaching at the University of Washington, and he was good then.
High school athletes who are serious about their education and about improving their skills in track and field or cross country and learning about themselves, owe themselves a look at any program that Mike Johnson is involved with.
If, however, you want to screw around, waste a coaches? time, and not work hard, don?t bother, he won?t be interested.
?ORDUDE?, ?Truth?, ?Ludacris?, you should consider seriously that that the three of you combined (and throw in your grandmas for good measure) will probably never amount in your lifetimes to what Mike Johnson has accomplished in our sport, unless you want to prove me wrong and reveal your true identities and accomplishments.
Daniel Bell -Steeplechaser
University of Washington ?83-88
Author - Encyclopedia of International Games,
Founder - International Games Archive,
Volunteer Assistant Coach - Los Angeles High School
Research Director - Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles,
Yikes! This "I love Mike Johnson" moment was brought to you by Hallmark (and whatever book he is trying to sell).
However, I think the question was, is Mike Johnson going to drop the Western Oregon job he just accepted for a chance to get back into the Pac-10?
Daniel Bell,
Fine, a nice essay and tribute to Mike Johnson. I have considered this decision thoroughly and am prepared to reveal myself. I only visit these boards because I am intrigued by the American distance psyche and because I am a fan of track and field.
My name is Vin Lananna and I earned a degree in history and psychology in 1975 at C.W. Post, where I was captain of the cross country team. I earned a master?s degree at Long Island University.
I was formerly the director of track and field/cross country at Stanford University, and now have undertaken my most intriguing and challenging job in being named the Delta Lodge Director of Athletics and professor of physical education at Oberlin College.
Do not assume that just 22 year olds with nothing better to do only visit this website. I have dedicated my life to this sport, and since 1994, I served as president and co-founder of Nike Farm, a post-collegiate program for corporately funded professional athletes. What have you done? Written encyclopedias, or in other works, regurgitate information in the written form?
We all contribute to sports in our own ways and no one is to judge what is a great contribution or not to our beloved sport. I wish Mike Johnson the best, but I have the Constitutional right to voice my opinion.
Best of luck with your publications, and I will be meadndering the web in search of truth.
Does anyone actually know anyone who actually might apply or has actually applied for the actual OSU job???
Bullshit on Ludacris.