i have been coaching for a few years now at a smaller division I school with modest success. we have improved every year as a team in cross-country and all of the kids have improved, some by a lot, individually both in xc and on the track. my goal is to coach at a big division I school, not necessarily Oregon or Stanford but at a big school nonetheless. From what i have noticed in hirings the past few years, it seems like the coaches hired for jobs at the bigger schools (not just the real good big schools but also the average or not so good big schools) seem to be a GA or assistant distance coach from another big school, rather than a coach from a mid-major or smaller division I school who already has head distance coaching experience and has shown that they can coach successfully. I scratch my head sometimes at the hirings I have seen the past few years when other good mid-major coaches are passed over time and time again for a job at a big school and the job goes to somebody with no real "head distance coach" experience. It seems that there are a lot of other mid-major or small school head coaches out there who cannot seem to break that barrier to get that "next-step" job that they are working hard for, some for 10+ years. My question is, for my future, should i pursue an assistant distance coach position at a bigger school or keep working hard and being successful on the relative scale of my current program, if I want to eventually get hired at a big school someday in the next 5 years or so? Other thoughts on this topic?