2012 Coaching Openings

Eastern New Mexico University's coach has left. They will have an interim till the spring season.

http://www.pntonline.com/news/enmutrackcrosscountrycoachleaving.html

With the number of jobs still open, the musical chairs still going on, does this bode well for a lot of openings next year as well. It seems like there might be a number of interim hires this year to fill the spots at some of the smaller schools.

On another note - schools like Xavier and Siena. Could one take those jobs to add head coaching experience at the D1 level, and use that for a year or two and then move to a more well-funded and competitive D2 program, or even an assistant coach position at a strong D1 program. I am thinking that might be a logical route, but not sure if it would work that way. Any thoughts?

Could one take those jobs to add head coaching experience at the D1 level, and use that for a year or two and then move

about the only way you can make that work is to improve the talent that is already there.

recruiting new talent would be difficult if they know you will/want to move.

Schools don't get it... when you under fund the staff (salaries), the other issues like full scholarships, great travel budget, prestige, etc are not as effective. A program still generally struggles because the head and assistants, even if they are great coaches are not getting respect and will look to other jobs.

dfj

Back to jobs. Let's keep it simple with little discussion. Who are the candidates for the remaining big jobs? I know you guys know something.

dfj wrote:

about the only way you can make that work is to improve the talent that is already there.

recruiting new talent would be difficult if they know you will/want to move.

Schools don't get it... when you under fund the staff (salaries), the other issues like full scholarships, great travel budget, prestige, etc are not as effective. A program still generally struggles because the head and assistants, even if they are great coaches are not getting respect and will look to other jobs.

dfj

And *one of* the tough parts about improving the "talent" that is already there will likely be the mess you're probably walking into. Just imagine what the team culture is probably like at a place that doesn't run track. Having drawn kids that were probably coming anyway without much scholarship to not "have" to run track. The Xavier situation could be slightly better but it also sounds like there was a lot of backlash to the canning of the last guy and these kids have to know - very well - what the administration thinks of them. I highly doubt they're oblivious to the fact that their administration expects them not to succeed...if they've coped with it by not caring anymore, it wouldn't be that uncommon.

It could be "possible"...but as someone else suggested, it would probably take a "retired" coach who just loved being in the game part-time to stick around 8 - 10 years to change the culture, attitude, and continually bring developmental kids in to make small, incremental steps every year. You'd probably spend a lot of the first few years just trying to develop the culture so the rare "DI Caliber" kid you could get to show up (money talks now more than ever) on the small scholarship you could afford would actually want to stay.

Don't get me wrong, I get why athletic departments aren't pouring money into their xc/track programs. However, you'd think they'd save themselves a lot of grief (staff turn-over, likely SA turn-over/discontent, institutional embarrassment - though that clearly doesn't matter) in the long run if some of these places didn't so begrudgingly keep them on just enough life support to count as a "sponsored" sport.

CaMpSnClInIcS wrote:

http://www.texastech.com/sports/c-track/spec-rel/081312aae.html

How many guys did it take to replace Rock Light as associate head coach and field event coach at Texas Tech?

2 or 3 coaches???

Why did Light leave? Was Kitterly threatened by him? How long will Kitterly last if TTU remains a middle of the pack Big 12 team? Could TTU be the 'big job' when the 2013 thread begins?

As I wrote about my experience interviewing at Xaver, the problem any young coach has is that they don't fund the program. Other than the $23,000 salary and no benefits there was one scholarship (at a school that is $40,000/year) for the men and maybe two for the women. They didn't want the team taking a bus, but wanted the team to take vans saving money. There is no indoor and outdoor track available on campus. No matter what experience level the coach is (a new coach trying to get experience) or an older coach using it as a part-time job it will be very difficult to improve the team based on the organization they present. Lets say a young coach goes there, works their butt off, and gets the program one place higher in the conference. Will that impress anyone in a higher level program when they have an opening? That is the real problem. Frankly, I think the way they did it with Dan Flaute was the way to go as long as they believe doing it the way they are. Hire a local person who already has a job and allow that person to do the best they can. Certainly this is difficult for the athletes in the program, but realistically its is the only way to do it.

dfj wrote:

about the only way you can make that work is to improve the talent that is already there.

recruiting new talent would be difficult if they know you will/want to move.

Schools don't get it... when you under fund the staff (salaries), the other issues like full scholarships, great travel budget, prestige, etc are not as effective. A program still generally struggles because the head and assistants, even if they are great coaches are not getting respect and will look to other jobs.

dfj

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And *one of* the tough parts about improving the "talent" that is already there will likely be the mess you're probably walking into. Just imagine what the team culture is probably like at a place that doesn't run track. Having drawn kids that were probably coming anyway without much scholarship to not "have" to run track. The Xavier situation could be slightly better but it also sounds like there was a lot of backlash to the canning of the last guy and these kids have to know - very well - what the administration thinks of them. I highly doubt they're oblivious to the fact that their administration expects them not to succeed...if they've coped with it by not caring anymore, it wouldn't be that uncommon.

It could be "possible"...but as someone else suggested, it would probably take a "retired" coach who just loved being in the game part-time to stick around 8 - 10 years to change the culture, attitude, and continually bring developmental kids in to make small, incremental steps every year. You'd probably spend a lot of the first few years just trying to develop the culture so the rare "DI Caliber" kid you could get to show up (money talks now more than ever) on the small scholarship you could afford would actually want to stay.

Don't get me wrong, I get why athletic departments aren't pouring money into their xc/track programs. However, you'd think they'd save themselves a lot of grief (staff turn-over, likely SA turn-over/discontent, institutional embarrassment - though that clearly doesn't matter) in the long run if some of these places didn't so begrudgingly keep them on just enough life support to count as a "sponsored" sport.

Read more:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4367974&page=100#ixzz247SklRBr

STOP TALKING ABOUT FUNDING AND BUDGETS. THIS IS A JOB BOARD.

Did TCU ever hire for jumps? And I guess Clemson just finished interviews. What's the skinny?

Has Northern Michigan made a hire yet. Didn't see anything at all on their site. I know many of these are updated late. Any news?

Last time we heard Wes Kittley was making 240K.

Wes living off the past of Salley Kipego & the Big 12 Championship way back in 2005.

Kittley surrounded himself with three minority coaches in hopes of getting athletes to the desert for 2012-13.

Any word on who Illinois State hired?

In your response about Clemson...have they interviewed people for the jobs for sure? What is your knowledge with that situation?

Some sports information staffs are small and over worked especially with fall sports aka football. Don't rely on the athletic dept web sites for updates. This is not true in all cases.

Iowa hasn't hire yet for the jumps/multi's position yet or at least the earlier post about it being filled was incorrect. Russ Peterson left Colgate to go back to Iowa as a volunteer and be with his fiancé. Colgate womem's sprints/hurdles should be posted soon.

Field & Track wrote:

CaMpSnClInIcS wrote:http://www.texastech.com/sports/c-track/spec-rel/081312aae.html

How many guys did it take to replace Rock Light as associate head coach and field event coach at Texas Tech?

2 or 3 coaches???

Pay close attention, this can get really complicated...

Rocky Light was fired...

James Thomas was hired...

Dion Miller was promoted...

To answer your question, Clemson is hiring this week.

Drake University has an opening for a sprint(hurdle) coach. where is the former coach going? anyone have an idea?

Are they hiring all 3 positions? because I saw they changed their throws coach from assistant coach to director of operations....do you know of the candidates?

Heynow65 wrote:

STOP TALKING ABOUT FUNDING AND BUDGETS. THIS IS A JOB BOARD.

Did TCU ever hire for jumps? And I guess Clemson just finished interviews. What's the skinny?

So he should have taken the job because it was a job? Good grief. It's a jobs thread (not board), and those are important things in taking a job. I hardly think there's so much traffic on here that we can't afford a few related posts.