Is Arkansas program doomed to mediocrity due to loss of greatest coach in history?

I will bet that this same idiot has posted several times. Let Bucky have a few years before you judge. Arkansas was not going to win the SEC even if Johnny Mac was there this year so it is easy to put this out there right now. Johnny Mac got out at an appropriate time to even look better than he already does. I am not saying that he was not absolutely amazing. I am only saying that it was not happening even if he were there. One more thing, Barnicle is a wack job so let that guy go to UNM.

You are right, Mr. nogo, it was the perfect time to retire. Alabam wins the SEC in Cross, but so if Bucknam is on the same level as any Arkansas Alumni that could have taken the job then he would get 2nd in the SEC in Cross and for real though, he will get 3rd or 4th, watch it, especially if the best guy is hurt and Scottie M. keeps getting public intox citations, as everyone in American knows that he is a Clinical Alcoholoic!

A few years to judge, how about 30 at UNI with school records at 14:25 and 29:39 and lying about coaching and developing a 13:26 guy. Do you need the link again! Arkansas has won SEC Championships with distance runners, not sprinters or PVers. If Bucknam goes to the 1500-800 group as a source of team pride, he "bucks" up against LSU. If he goes for sprints, he is going against the best in the business in the SEC, so passing judgement on a 14:25 (indoor 5k) and 29:39 (10k school record at UNI)is not a problem, the judgement has been made and his history over 30 years has been a failure in cross country and distances over 3,000 m. He will have no job by 2012 and be begging for a position at UNI - Watch and learn, only take jobs you can do, never bite off more than you can chew at this level!!!

As far as Cross Country and distance runners, guess what Bucknam has been measured and weighed and he has been found to be "wanting" - yes wanting to be someone else who can actually coach the event groups that Arkansas has historically developed to win championships. Congrats to the other SEC schools as now there will be parity. By the way, Bucknam is just 4-5 years younger than Boothe, so calling Booth old is the same difference. Booth has coached more Olympians than Bucknam has met in person and that will not change in the next 10 years!

Chris Bucknam like George Bush has completed a first term of longer than most would like.... as a head coach at UNI.

At the end of that term, anyone with an education knew that good old George was a ridiculous choice. Same goes here, this will be Bucknam's 2nd term in an office of head coach and guess what: he will go down in history just like George.. a nice guy who has no clue how to do his job with an Huge Ego to boot that will push him to make choices that lose him Alumni monies and support.

Judgement will come when the Atlanta kid and Kenyan kid never show up on campus. Reality, any intelligent 12th grader who wants to be an Olympian or NCAA Ind Champion can read Bucknam's history and say, no way, I am going to run for Dave Smith or Marcus O'Sullivan. It is a whole new level. Waiting to judge is not necessary. 30 years with NO NCAA qualifiers in the 10,000m is REAL!! Oh, and his own statement, "I have Dorian do high mileage.. yeah about 60 miles per week!" very George Bush like to be honest!! Lack of intelligence, no question!! Lance Harter could do a better job with the men!!

Those who leave not will achieve more than those who stay, this very thread shows you the reasons why. Grow up, the coffee has been tasted - yes for 30 years. This is not a new approach or new program. 1 1500m runner gets to score at NCAAs in 30 years - who is the only one under 3:44.06 coached by Bucknam.

UNI's Top 5 All Time 1500

1. Dorian Ulrey

2. Balasz Csillag (coached by his club coach by internet)

3. Bob Friedman 3:44.06

4. Mark Feyerheisen 3:47.65

5. Rob Brock 3:47.83

800 All Time - Not one guy outdoors under 1:48.10.

All the while having 12.6 scholarships. If you think this judgement is premature, wait until all of John's guys are gone and Bucknam's recruits are left. Oh my Lord, beating Vandy will be tough and South Carolina!

The judgement is there, Bucknam with the existing Hogs could win Drake Relays, but Penn - lets see - Oregon with 5 sub 3:41 guys returning, and the youngest 2008 Olympian to boot, then Georgetown, then Villanova with some great young talent - Wow where is the Penn Relay Wheel coming from! That statement in an earlier post would actually be saying that with the same guys John McDonnel could not get to score a Wheel, Bucknam will - George Bush again, thinking not just outside the box but outside reality!!

You guys (my real guess is that this is one guy posting on various names) have some real issues.

John is gone. John was going downhill the last few years and it would only get worse in the next few years. There is a different coaching climate around the country.

Let it go. Did Bucky cut your scholarship? Is that what you have such a bad attitude. Did you apply and get rejected for this job? I doubt that because these rants sound like a college kid that couldn't get his way.

Look, it is to a degree unfair to predict performance at Arkansas based on this coach's record at UNI - the difference in resources between UNI and Arkansas are vast, and by any reasonable measure, Bucknam did very well at a non-flagship state school in a rather low population state.

The problem is in replicating a Johnny Mac. They don't come around often, in any sport. And he succeeded not merely because of his coaching knowledge - but also in his ability to get runners to lead the kind of life that leads to success. In this regard Johnny Mac is like Jumbo Elliott - you put your life on a clock, so to speak. Easy to do perhaps with professional runners but far from easy with college students. It takes a presence, a command, and a sense of concern that is unusual. So Arkansas would be very wise simply to look ahead and try not to chase Johnny Mac's ghost - likely impossible in the short term.

And there is a good point to be made - Arkansas really has to do it with distance runners and jumpers that can win more than one event. Arkansas is not a big population state and has a narrow local recruiting base. This means it runs into the same problems in track re other SEC schools as it has in football - they have to branch out from their local sources (how many Dan Lincolns come around from Arkansas?) and take different approaches to winning. And this won't be easy, because, as I state, Johnny Mac's don't come around often.

Is Bucky actually coaching distance for the hogs? Is there no chance he is hiring a distance coach?

difficult challenge hits it on the head

Arkansas may have SEC resources, but the same challenges are present that were present at UNI. Recruiting from Texas against the Texas coach - tought even for Coach Mac.

I don't think anyone is saying that Bucknam will win NCAA titles like Coach Mac. It would be nice not to get 3rd, 3rd, and 3rd in the SEC and the legacy will be disrespected.

This will be a challenge and most in the Know of SEC coaching realize that if they aren't at Arkansas, Jeff Long just made thier job easier to keep, as beating Arkansas just at the SEC level will become "Old Hat" for years. Look at Oregon. They won Cross in 2007. This was the first title for Oregon since 1984 Outdoors, so about 23 years for an NCAA title. This could be the reality!!

Arkansas Track & Field Staff:

Chris Bucknam - Head Cross Country & Track & Field Coach

Dick Boothe - Field Events Coach (Jumps)

Dick Case - Sprints & Pole Vault (Vault and 400-800 group)

*Danny Green - Director of Cross Country & Track

If Bucknam is not the distance coach, what would he coach, it seems that Case is the 800-1500m coach from UNI, so that is good for the middle distance guys still at Arkansas!

(*NCAA Allows only 3 coaches and one "manager" for men's and women's programs that are not combined.)(Coach Green will not be allowed by NCAA rules to coach anyone, only allowed to supervise and manage equipement and travel. So he can hold a watch at practice but cannot actually coach, what ever that means!)

Bucknam has named himself as the Distance Coach! This is real!

My guess is that the disgruntled poster, using several names, isn't a college kid who had his scholarship yanked but an unqualified guy w/ ties to the program who thought he should have a job. College kids aren't usually up so early. Give it a rest & please stop using so many "!!!!!" s-- it gives away the fact that you're an idiot for posting so many disgruntled posts & trying to prove your own point. Any of the qualified coaches wouldn't waste their time w/ this cr@p. Me either. Buck can flat out coach and more importantly, recruit. Give him a year or two & shut up the h#// up already--- Go Hogs!

It is what it is, and recruiting and coaching are not necessarily true - history points this out. There will be no more PIG SOOIE crap at the SEC meets and we all love it!!

LSU owns the 800 in the SEC and we don't run 1:48.1 indoors, none of the 3 of us!!

Geb s Coach wrote:

Geb's coach is the greatest. Johnny Mac is only a college coach.

Geb's coach fed his epo.... Johnny Mac fed em hard work...

It will be hard for Case and Bucky if they do not cheat like crazy the way it has been done for the past 20+ years. You can judge them harshly if you wish, but Johnny is out for a reason, time for the underhanded shit to stop. Hard to win if you play fair. He is a great coach but had unfair advantages and everyone who pays close attention knows this is true. Bucky is a great hire.

Bekele's Coach is the greatest in History. MacDonald is only an NCAA coach.

But Bekele and the Ethiopians have several coaches and Jos as a mentor!

you need to qualify that with "college". he'a a college coach. that's all. there are nearly a thousand better pro coaches that mac.

Coach John McDonnell recommended Bucknam and is pleased that Bucknam got the job. Coach McDonnell is a class-act.

I guess Coach McDonnell knows a little about cross country and track and field.

If you know so much about John McDonnell and who did he recommeded, how about the idea that he endorsed DICK BOOTHE, the best coach on the staff! Boothe has coached more Olympians than Bucknam will ever meet. To be honest, Bucknam as the head coach is so ironic as Coach Case, Coach Green, and Boothe all know more about coaching than Bucknam does or ever will know. How many Cross Country All-Americans has Bucknam coached - ZERO PLUS ZERO STILL EQUALS ZERO!!! How many of Bucknam's great distance runners were in the trials or competing in Beijing? Again, the same ZERO! Wow, Bucky is becoming a Zero Hero!!

Further, do you know what Coach Mac thinks of the AD -Jeff Long, as that would be my best rebutt to your idea that Johnny Mac thinks that Bucknam will be a Winner instead of a WEENER! Unfortunate reality hogs .. See how that sh.. tastes in Mississippi this fall!! From 34 year of conference Cross dominace to 3rd best team in Alabama if Fayetteville were in Alabama!!

How do like them Apples!

Danny Green has been illegally coaching for years. The NCAA

is also getting wise to this................. You can't have four NCAA coaches on a men's only staff.