Why is Andrew Gerard at George Mason?

College Running D1

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4 years ago 06/29/2019 11:51am EDT

re: Dose of Truth

Dose of Truth wrote:
rojo wrote:
You do realize he coached a team to 24 points at NCAAs? A coach is only as good as the athletes he has to work with. And yes recruiting is a BIG part of the job but you are only going to get certain type of athletes at certain schools. My favorite phrase about coaching is, "How many NCAA titles did Mark Wetmore win at Seton Hall and how many did Urban Meyer win at Bowling Green?"
If it was only about how good of a coach you were, then people wouldn't leave small programs.
In track, some coaches don't care as there isn't big money in the sport, particularly when he took over at Mason. So he could probably make roughly the same at George Mason as Stanford but it's way cheaper to live and way less stress/pressure.
Unless you know the tuition cost, the out out state waivers and whether a team is fully funded, it's almost impossible to judge a college coach correctly.
Need another example from football. Here's one I like ouse from my Cornell days - George Seifert.
He was fired as the Cornell football coach after two years and a 3-15 record. Before his career was over he coached the 49ers to two Super Bowl titles and 5 NFC title games in 6 years.
His record is so bad at George Mason, his bio brags about bringing athletes to an all-comers regional meet.
"Gerard led the George Mason men's cross country team to its third consecutive top-three finish at the CAA Championships in 2008. The Patriots were one of two CAA squads to compete at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships. In addition to the men's success, two members of the George Mason women's cross country team - Karlyn Lockie and Samantha Fickel - ran at the regional meet as well."
There were only 8 teams in the CAA back then, and most of the teams didn't even belong to the southeast regional.
CAA results from 2008:
2008 Championship (Nov. 1 at Bull Run Regional Park - Manassas, Va.)
William & Mary 20
Georgia State 70
George Mason 92
Delaware 93
VCU 123
Northeastern 176
Hofstra 189
UNCW 210

Wow UNCW has sucked for an enternity!

4 years ago 06/29/2019 12:19pm EDT

re: Untrue

The program was deconstructed because John Cook was a cheat. PED use, money to athletes, NCAA violations, financial improprieties, falsifying meet results, you name it. NCAA champs and 2 years later, you’re fired? You do the math.

4 years ago 06/29/2019 7:55pm EDT

re: Wilberforce

2 years ago 12/09/2021 8:51pm EST

re: he killed it

Yeah that’s a lie lol, I’m a runner for Gerard at George Mason and he is the longest tenured coach here for a reason. We are the most successful program here, might want to check your facts.

2 years ago 12/10/2021 1:13pm EST

re: paul72

paul72 wrote:
rojo wrote:
You do realize he coached a team to 24 points at NCAAs? A coach is only as good as the athletes he has to work with. And yes recruiting is a BIG part of the job but you are only going to get certain type of athletes at certain schools. My favorite phrase about coaching is, "How many NCAA titles did Mark Wetmore win at Seton Hall and how many did Urban Meyer win at Bowling Green?"
If it was only about how good of a coach you were, then people wouldn't leave small programs.
In track, some coaches don't care as there isn't big money in the sport, particularly when he took over at Mason. So he could probably make roughly the same at George Mason as Stanford but it's way cheaper to live and way less stress/pressure.
Unless you know the tuition cost, the out out state waivers and whether a team is fully funded, it's almost impossible to judge a college coach correctly.
Need another example from football. Here's one I like ouse from my Cornell days - George Seifert.
He was fired as the Cornell football coach after two years and a 3-15 record. Before his career was over he coached the 49ers to two Super Bowl titles and 5 NFC title games in 6 years.
agree with the the challenges in judging college track coaches--some limited by the programs/funding that they inherit...as for George Seifert--he can thank Bill Walsh for those loaded Niners teams..how did Carolina work out for him?

^.., this. Where would G. Seifert and S. Young be without the genius of B. Walsh and the prior QB J. Montana…?!

2 years ago 12/10/2021 1:32pm EST

re: YouAreDumb1

YouAreDumb1 wrote:
Yeah that’s a lie lol, I’m a runner for Gerard at George Mason and he is the longest tenured coach here for a reason. We are the most successful program here, might want to check your facts.

You lost to Appalachian state and High Point at regionals..........

2 years ago 12/10/2021 2:45pm EST

re: zikes

zikes wrote:
YouAreDumb1 wrote:
Yeah that’s a lie lol, I’m a runner for Gerard at George Mason and he is the longest tenured coach here for a reason. We are the most successful program here, might want to check your facts.
You lost to Appalachian state and High Point at regionals..........

If you haven't paid attention, High Point has been throwing money at athletics over the past few years. It is buying programs more so than building programs. Of course, the High Point administration is not the most ethical and the school has been embroiled in several scandals.

2 years ago 12/10/2021 6:23pm EST

re: CrispyChicken

CrispyChicken wrote:
zikes wrote:
You lost to Appalachian state and High Point at regionals..........
If you haven't paid attention, High Point has been throwing money at athletics over the past few years. It is buying programs more so than building programs. Of course, the High Point administration is not the most ethical and the school has been embroiled in several scandals.

George Mason has more men's scholarships and they have a coach that won NCAA's in cross country before. They also have a relatively recent outdoor track NCAA title at George Mason. They should NOT be placing 16th in the region, barely ahead of a cross country only program (Richmond).

2 years ago 01/19/2022 12:15pm EST

re: Jane Doe

Gerard is a terrible coach, and the team is a mess

2 years ago 01/19/2022 12:39pm EST

re: Fulcrum

GMU undergrad is a garbage school, and Fairfax, Va., is an overpriced hole. The coach is doing well under the circumstances.

2 years ago 01/19/2022 5:00pm EST

re: zikes

zikes wrote:
They also have a relatively recent outdoor track NCAA title at George Mason..

Um....no!

1996 Indoor...yes....recent no. That was 26 years ago....not recent by any stretch...

Why the revisionist history. By the way, they won with 39 points, pretty low total for that or any era. Very lucky the Razorbacks had an off year.

I won't cast aspersions about Cook's character, enough about him has been said on here.

2 years ago 01/19/2022 5:11pm EST

re: toro

toro wrote:
Small program?
Mason used to be one of the top programs in the nation.
One NCAA team title.
A few top threes.
Several NCAA Champions.
Collegiate record holders.
Olympians.
Won the IC4A's 7 years in a row when that meet meant something.

Ring Ring Ring?

Hello: It's the 90's calling, why are you dredging up an old dead program that got lucky one time?

2 years ago 01/19/2022 5:37pm EST

re: The Exception

The Exception wrote:
zikes wrote:
They also have a relatively recent outdoor track NCAA title at George Mason..
Um....no!
1996 Indoor...yes....recent no. That was 26 years ago....not recent by any stretch...
Why the revisionist history. By the way, they won with 39 points, pretty low total for that or any era. Very lucky the Razorbacks had an off year.
I won't cast aspersions about Cook's character, enough about him has been said on here.

And now they can't even score a single point at NCAAs. An NCAA championship winning coach inherited a team that won an NCAA track championship within 10 years of his arrival, and now they can't score a point. Verburg was the only first team All-American in his near 20 years at George Mason.

2 years ago 02/08/2022 8:38am EST

re: Jzs

2 years ago 02/08/2022 8:41am EST

re: YouAreDumb1

2 years ago 02/08/2022 8:48am EST

re: Jane Doe

They gave him a crap ton of money and resources normally reserved for a power-5 program, that's why. Final Four money baby!

2 years ago 02/08/2022 8:49am EST

re: zikes

Mason has never been focused on NCAAs. The old athletic director only cared about one thing, conference championships.

2 years ago 02/08/2022 8:48pm EST

re: toro

toro wrote:
Small program?
Mason used to be one of the top programs in the nation.
One NCAA team title.
A few top threes.
Several NCAA Chapions.
Collegiate record holders.
Olympians.
Won the IC4A's 7 years in a row when that meet meant something.

Yes GMU was a great program for many years. Coach Cook had a Jamaican connection and many other great athletes like Achon. I remember the team competed well against the world's best at their indoor Mobil meet. Also dominated the IC4As for years. Great program with many outstanding athletes and very nice people involved. GMU won an NCAA indoor Title and that was well deserved.

2 years ago 02/08/2022 11:05pm EST

re: Harold #1

Harold #1 wrote:
toro wrote:
Small program?
Mason used to be one of the top programs in the nation.
One NCAA team title.
A few top threes.
Several NCAA Chapions.
Collegiate record holders.
Olympians.
Won the IC4A's 7 years in a row when that meet meant something.
Yes GMU was a great program for many years. Coach Cook had a Jamaican connection and many other great athletes like Achon. I remember the team competed well against the world's best at their indoor Mobil meet. Also dominated the IC4As for years. Great program with many outstanding athletes and very nice people involved. GMU won an NCAA indoor Title and that was well deserved.

how did it all fall apart?

2 years ago 02/09/2022 10:47am EST

re: Jane Doe

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