Coach Cook shares his thoughts on what happened with Flannagan and Donohue

You ain't kiddin'. Not often do we get such unminced, uncoated directness in the news these days. Thanks.

Yesterday, Coach Cook was receiving high praise for being above it all and not getting into all the name calling. Today he is receiving praise for speaking his mind.

Yeah, and her essentially insulting Donohue in public. What a great guy.

He may be the greatest coach out there, and former runners can trumpet his successes, but it is his demeanor that caused this split.

Bottom line.

I had heard he said stuff like this, but did not believe it almost.

Donahue has made Olympic and world teams, and it only 24. PR'ed at 800 and 15 recently.

Said Donohue: "I expressed to Coach Cook my goals for the next four years [running under 4:00 in the 1,500 and being in contention for a medal for the 2012 Olympics] and my willingness to work harder to reach them. He told me that I'm not talented enough to run that fast and that he doesn't want to work toward goals [that] he believes are unattainable. He told me officially on Monday, Jan. 19, that he would not coach me anymore. And I agreed that he probably shouldn't be my coach if he thinks I can't get much better."

Cook, who has made friends and foes with his directness, countered: "The fact [is] that Erin does not make it with Shannon. It is not Shannon's fault. [Shannon] is a really nice person. Erin needs to know she is only as good as she is. There will be not 4:00. That is a dream."

Who was praising cook for being above it all?

In his interview, he's telling the facts of what unfolded in Mexico and how things were between him and his athletes. People want the details of what really happened. Cook shared them with us. What's wrong with that?

My apologies, I said Donahue was 24, she is 25.Whether she is limited or not, the issue of "telling it like it is" here from Cook?

In one thread he is praised for being above it all, the next he is praised for dumping it out there and his stark honesty.

I would think most athletes, would find it hard to continue with a coach who has clearly told them what the ceiling of upside is or is not.

Does not mean he is not 100% right, just that I think most would look another direction, espeicially, when they were still improving and worked hard.

Cook has said a lot of things like this to the Donahue camp over time I am sure.It was not this one incident that he takes and makes it that way.

what an ass.

And seriously, he only saw Shalane for 2 months out of the year. That's weak.

Shalane said the plyo routine she does was put together by Donahue, taken from a mixed martial arts expert. And, she had to train on her own for 10months out of the year. Good for her for leaving. She'll get better with a group and without the football coach mentality of Cook. what a piece.

Seriously, does he really think that another coach could not have worked with Shalane and gotten those results? Her background pre-Cook is amazing.

Hi Ross,

I have just begun to scratch the surface of Never Gymless, but I have been very pleased with the results. My teammates and I have incorporated your circuit routines into our regular training, and I feel that it has helped to transform me into a more complete athlete. Most runners just focus on logging miles. I never feel more tired than when I finish one of your Minute Drills, but I have found that the core and upper body strength, as well as explosiveness, that it has helped me to develop has be instrumental at the end of races, allowing me to maintain form and kick rather than break down.

Thanks for being an important ingredient to my training!

Go USA!

Shannon Rowbury

Nike - Track and Field

2008 US Olympian

http://www.rosstraining.com/testimonials.html

When it comes down to it, an athlete cannot stay with a coach who does not believe in him or her. Regardless of whether Cook is or isn't right about Donohue's potential, it was not in HER best interests to express his negative opinion in such a manner, nor to compare her to her teammate. His job is to get the best out of his athletes, not to smash their dreams. How was he doing his job when he put her down?

What an ass. I pointed this out earlier under another name and took grief for it. So, someone is paying him to be a coach and he says "you aren't talented enough" - nice.

So now, who is Cook coaching?

Personality Defect wrote:

When it comes down to it, an athlete cannot stay with a coach who does not believe in him or her. Regardless of whether Cook is or isn't right about Donohue's potential, it was not in HER best interests to express his negative opinion in such a manner, nor to compare her to her teammate. His job is to get the best out of his athletes, not to smash their dreams. How was he doing his job when he put her down?

This is so true. I have been in this situation and coincidently was commenting about it a few minutes before reading this thread. I once received advice from a "coach" that was so far out of whack that I was doomed to fail. You can say I should have known better, but I was a victim of blind trust. Anyway, this "coach" was exposed for being what he is. Unfortunately, he continues to follow me around online and has become an internet stalker. Creepy, big time.

If you know a coach like this, all I can say is RUN away.

So their improvements are a lot down to plyometrics?

I remember somebody else saying that too.

you can see their plyo/'strength' work on flotrack. at least what shalane's doing. i have the 'never gymless' book that shannon mentions ... nothing wild in it, but it's all there and well presented, which makes it easy to use ... and thus you use it.

the ab wheel, burpees, etc. definitely make you say, "dang, i thought i was fit ... but i don't know anymore." ;)

I think he thinks he is better than he is. I also beleive in never placing limitations on anyones potential. All things are possible.

I think Erin and Flanagan will be better off without him.

Agreed..."the Cook book". WTF?

Let's see, he coaches Shalane for free for over a year and brings her from injury to the level she is. She video tapes all of Cook's workouts and as soon as she has to start paying him significant money, she bolts with his video tapes and his program for which she received for little cost. I can side with Donahue, but what Shalane and her husband did was shady. Sounds like Shalane married an insecure deuche.

You guys speculating don't even know part of the story.

Don't just take Cook's words for absolute truth. Of course he's going to paint the picture that it was about money and Shalane's husband controlling things. And you know what? That might partly be true. But Cook is about as far from a saint as you could get. There were other issues I can guarantee you that. Ask some of Cook's former athletes about stuff like that and you'll get the picture.

Unbelievable. Cook is a moron for telling Erin that, she is an OLYMPIAN and a young one at that. I don't really understand how you could coach someone over the phone and email really.

Good move for the athletes to get away from this man.