Ok, we're finally getting some good responses.
Anyone know why Brimstein didn't run xc the first 3 years?
Now we're talking. Bringing me back to the basically Pre-Internet era. I remember hearing Tony won and was amazed by it. All of the younger guys at Princeton when I was there (1996) seemed to barely be on the team and then a bunch of them just rocked it after I had graduated.
I think a common denominator might be the fact that Ireland took over for both guys in the middle of their careers. It can be easy for coaches to give up on head cases or injury prone guys. A new coach is likely to give them more of a fresh start.
I remember when I got hired at Cornell, I looked up the college stats of all of the guys and asked my best runner, Bruce Hyde, 'OK who are the talented guys that haven't done anything due to injury?'
As a coach, you are looking to coach talent.