What's up with Coach Drenth's men's team? They seem stuck in 7th in the Big 10 and have been there now for 5 years. Does he spend all his time and energy with the women's team? Track is already down.
What's up with Coach Drenth's men's team? They seem stuck in 7th in the Big 10 and have been there now for 5 years. Does he spend all his time and energy with the women's team? Track is already down.
Ever since Drenth took over, everyone is down and it will get worse. "His" athletes are finally in place and this is the year that will really represent him. 8th for them men, 5th for the women: great accomplishment. He runs off or injures all the good athletes and only the mediocre stay becuase they have nowhere to go.
This last post is almost exactly correct. Track team is headed in same direction even though the multi and throws coach are good. You'd think that not everyone can go to Michigan and the 2nd tier from such a great distance running state could still be at least decent!
I was on the team and can tell you that Drenth is veyr difficult to run for. He has one of the shortest tempers and bullies his athletes... I'm not the only person who has quit as a result in the last 5 years. Most of the really strong runners from the state have chosen to do something other than dealing with him every day.
I smell a job opening soon.
It's not crazy that the women already seem to be sliding because they lost some big guns, but that the men continue to be this poor is inexcusable. In the conference however, I think Illinois is equally stagnant and Purdue's men are absolutely abysmal!
That being said, not sure any of these Administrations care enough about cross country and/or track to fire someone for performance?
I agree and he destroyed the career of Mike Woods !
His "really good runners from the state" are usually the ones with monstrous egos and neglible work ethics. Walt's biggest vice and his biggest virtue is that he doesn't put up with big egos. Most of the men that have left the program in the past 5 years (with the exception of Shay, who left for reasons not relating to Walt) were mediocre athletes who thought they were something special because they ran for power high school programs. He's at his best when he's working with guys with minimal talent and maximal heart and work ethic. I vaguely remember him having a decent guys team a couple of years ago (top 20 or so at nationals?), but they have seemingly backslid a little.
As for the women's program, they're a half-decent team having lost 2 all-americans and another national track qualifier, plus their best returner from last year to injury. I don't think anybody can realistically fault him for having a rebuilding year with the women. They should be back to a perennial top 15 team soon.
MSU Men's XC has definitely not progressed like many thought it would once Drenth was hired. Biggest accomplishment so far has been Knoll going sub 4 in indoors this past season.
Overall, the current state of the MSU XC team is pretty poor.
they have fired the staff before based on performance
Gatson and Goodman each had 8 years before they were canned... let's see where Drenth is in 2 moe years... if they don't fire him, is it racism?
They just need to lighten up and have a good time like the EMU cross country men! ..(see video below!)
They need to bring back coach Gibbard.
Damn, I spit on my computer just reading gibbard's name.
Can anyone confirm he's dead so I can sleep at night?
I heard he was crushed by a horny bull while he was screwing a cow.
It was only a matter of time.
Not true.....I too ran for him and I never saw him "bully" anyone. He was a great role model and had a huge impact on me during and after college. I have nothing but respect for the man, and all of my teammates felt the same. He expected a lot and would certainly let you know if you weren't performing to his expectations. I would expect that from any coach at the college level. If you worked hard (no matter your talent), you earned his full support and confidence.
This is quite disturbing. I have two degrees from Eastern. I'm going to see if I can give them back.
not an emu runner wrote:
They just need to lighten up and have a good time like the EMU cross country men! ..(see video below!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NAtcI0VeQY
mpeterson wrote:
Not true.....I too ran for him and I never saw him "bully" anyone. He was a great role model and had a huge impact on me during and after college. I have nothing but respect for the man, and all of my teammates felt the same. He expected a lot and would certainly let you know if you weren't performing to his expectations. I would expect that from any coach at the college level. If you worked hard (no matter your talent), you earned his full support and confidence.
I agree, Coach Gibbard was an excellent role model.
Speaking of coaches, has Eastern Michigan done much since they had boaz? Can you credit the coach in that regard?
quit wrote:
I was on the team and can tell you that Drenth is veyr difficult to run for. He has one of the shortest tempers and bullies his athletes... I'm not the only person who has quit as a result in the last 5 years. Most of the really strong runners from the state have chosen to do something other than dealing with him every day.
Honestly, you just sound like a puss. Weren't working hard, eh? A lil' too much tail and booze, and not enough dedication, eh? Weren't willing to do the little things, were you? He called you out, didn't he?
You work hard, Walt will do anything for you.
If you're a lazy, excuse-making egomaniac, Walt will tear you down. As he should.
Quitter.