Fetzer to UVA as new Director of TNF and CC

coach d wrote:

Do you guys remember this?

THE TOP 10 RECRUITING CLASSES

OF THE YEAR

TOP MEN

1. Texas

2. Oregon

3. Texas A&M

4. Arkansas

5. Harvard

6. Stanford

7. Florida

8. Virginia

9. Wisconsin

10. LSU

Who do you think is responsible for #5?

Sure, I'll bet UVA wishes they's gone for some jerkwater DII/D3 jogging program instead. Coaching someone to break 15:30 is sooo much more impressive than the #5 recruiting class in the country.

Remember this?

We'll remember this in 5 years if those athletes ever pan out. Recruiting classes are nice, but if you don't have the results, then they mean squat.

The strength of a recruiting class if often based off 2 or 3 key athletes in a given year, and what really makes a great team is depth. Now maybe Fetzer will provide that, but just because some idiot ranked a bunch of h.s'ers high doesn't mean that they will have any significant success on the collegiate level.

If you are going to go Ivy and non-distance, why not Nathan Taylor of Cornell?

He is arguably the best jumps coach (2 national champs at Cornell) in the country as well as possibly best team builder in the country - how many Ivies has he won at Penn/Cornell. Lananna dominated @ Dartmouth and then won NCAA titles at Oregon and Stanford.

Taylor > Lananna.

Andrews has struggled with Vig leaving but continues to get workouts from Vig. In the interim, Andrews has gone on record with administration at UVA with a list of coaches he would consider to stay at UVA. Fetzer is not on that list so I would not be surprised if Andrews requests a redshirt to look at the olympics this year, a request to transfer is very probable as well.

Who was on that list?

In response to Andrew's "list" of coaches he gave to the administration; AD's could care less about 1 individual; they are concerned about the needs of a team/program.

Too many times, a student-athlete thinks they are too big-time and go straight to the top. In fact, Administration cares about the management of the team as a whole, not the individuals, no matter how successful they my be.

The Harvard men recruit list?

http://gocrimson.com/sports/track/2011-12/releases/TFMWFreshmanRelease

Recruits of note:

Benjamin Glauser

Freshman - Throws - Athens, Ga./Athens Academy

Accomplishments/Personal Bests

2010 Milrose Games Champion – weight throw

Personal bests of 70’ 4 1/2” in the shot put, 73’ 4” in the weight and 210’ 1” in the hammer

7th in shot put at indoor USATF

Jarvis Harris

Freshman - Jumps/Hurdles - Ama, La./Jesuit

Accomplishments/Personal Bests

Personal bests of 48’ 6 3/4” in the triple jump and 14.21 in the 110 hurdles

Ranked 25th in the nation as a senior in the triple jump, posting a personal-best mark of 48’ 6 3/4” … Also ranked 58th as a senior in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.21.

Dean Sullivan

Freshman - Throws - Franklin Lakes, N.J./Delbarton School

Accomplishments/Personal Bests

New Balance National Champion - javelin

Personal best of 217’ 9” in the javelin

Billy Orman

Freshman - Distance - Tuba City, Ariz./Tuba City

Accomplishments/Personal Bests

2010 and 2009 Footlocker Finalist, sixth-place finish as a senior

2010 NXNSW Champion

Broke state records in both the 1600 and 3200

Personal best of 4:05.29 and 8:48.63 for 3200m

Adam Cotton

Freshman - Distance - Penkridge, England/Stafford Grammar School

Accomplishments/Personal Bests

2011 European Junior gold medalist – 1500m

2010 World Junior semi-finalist – 800m

2009 World Youth participant – 800m

Personal bests of 1:48.30 for 800 and 3:41.33 for 1500m

I'm guessing that recruiting for an Ivy league school and recruiting for a state school are two very different things.

The very first thing the press release says is misleading. He was not at Harvard for 2 years, he was there for one year and 4 months. He might have helped to bring in this year's track and field class but he isnt there to actually coach them. Last years class that he coached he did not recruit.

It seems to me that you cannot clearly a judge a coach if he leaves every 1-3 years. Doesn't mean he isn't excellent, but the excuse the pun "track record" just isn't there.

Nothing against non-distance people but there must have been more qualified people applying, that's all. It is a strange choice. I hope it works out. I dont think he will have a good recruiting year this year unless he hires some great people under him immediately.

I would bet arrogant Vig is still trying to control the situation at UVA. The list that Andrews put together is really a list that Vig put together.

Since Craig Littlepage has essentially done a 180 on his prior hire of Vig he made in August 2008, the program is teetering. Forget the indoor season, but look what they are hosting in May: ACCs on a brand new track. I'm not sure if Vig was involved with the "ask" that go the first $5M from the wealthy former UVA volleyball player (yes, not a track person giving that gift). Now Fetzer has to get all of us alumns feeling good about continued giving to the ol' U Vee Aye. The phase II plans for the track complex would make it a top flight facility.

In the recent past, the snob-filled ways of selling the academic status of UVA to both in-state and out-of-state recruits was working. It may work on some but it wears thin. Brad Hunt used that line all the time when he was the chief recruiter for Dunn. Hunt also set the table for the XC success under Vig.

I say bring in a distance coach with strong roots in Virginia who can add instant credibility even if he's 20 years older than Fetzer: George Watts

Dang you are am a$$, wish my head was as big as yours!! I coach at a lower level than you Master, but you better belive as one of the top teams in my domain I know everyone and everything about even the worst teams and I respect them as much as anyone else.

Why are so many people hating on Bryan Fetzer? This guys knows college track & field. He has coached at all types of universities from smaller DII to Pac-10 to SEC to the most elite at Harvard. He will be just fine running the show at Virginia.

As for Roby Andrews, did he really give the administration a list of coaches he would work with and run for? Are you kidding me? Since when does a college track kid dictate hiring? This is not the NBA, NFL or MLB. Bryan is going to pick the coaches he wants and is comfortable with. If Andrews doesn't like it, train elsewhere.

So what is Andrews going to do now?

If Robbie went to the administration with a list, they would do well to work with him. Him leaving would put a big hole in the program needlessly. Not listening to your stud is arrogant and stupid.

Pretty sure the list thing is an embellished rumor. I'm sure a runner of Andrews' caliber has some moderate input in who/what kind of coach he would like to have at UVA (i.e. a conversation with the AD and/or now the new director, not a list). If you're a reasonable AD/head coach, you generally let your athletes have a chance to talk to you about what they're looking for in a new hire. This is only part of the decision making process, obviously, but hopefully the final decision is at least somewhat informed by what the athletes want. They are the ones with their success at stake.

Does Fetzer drink egg nog?

Congratulations to Fetzer for earning this job. It's nice to see a hard working guy in this business get a break now and then.

Moving forward, who does he hire for the distance position? He's certainly going to hire a solid coach to restore some confidence and order. The problem is, and many would disagree, there is just not that many available candidates who are "good enough" and would up and leave their current teams mid way through the academic year.

Going through the recent XC results and last year's track, things look to be slim if he's hoping to restore some confidence and order amongst his new distance crew.

A couple of good choices, but again, would these folks even leave their current programs? For the most part, going to UVA would be a lateral move:

Morgan (Florida)

Coogan (Dartmouth)

Braden (UCLA)

Julian (WSU)

Benson (Air Force)

Pigg (Georgia)

Keith (Vanderbilt)

Just fun speculation is all. I'm sure Fetzer already has his man (or woman).

Benson is married to some football coach in CO...right? She ain't goin nowhere.

Keith just got promoted to HC at Vandy, he ain't leavin either.

Braden has things moving in the right direction, I would stay there. Although I am certain it would be a BIG pay raise for him.

Pigg maybe, I have heard he is looking (Furman and Wake).

I have no thought on Morgan (all though he has VA ties), Coogan, or Jilian.

Wrong. Littlepage spoke with us briefly in a short meeting. All he said was email him if we have some concerns or ideas. The annoucement came in an email to us from his secretary. Don't think we have any input at this point and for whatever reason, i don't get the feeling that he really cares what we think. I am not expecting a top notch coach now the Director has been hired and the salary for the new coach isn't what u think it is. BUT I HOPE FOR THE BEST.

"us"

well if kids from UVA are commenting on this message board then the new head coach has his work cut out for him.

way to be loyal to your school