Doper Dennis Mitchell is again US relay coach

Well at least now when they drop the baton we know who we can blame.

agip,

Agreed he is horrible on both accounts, exmple and coaching ability. Should be someone like Pat Henry that can actually coach the relays.

Igy

agip wrote:

cause he's so good at doping and handoffs.

Idiots

he got caught doping and his teams are horrible at passing.

USATF = morans of the highest order

http://whbl.com/news/articles/2016/apr/05/gatlin-coach-to-remain-as-us-relay-boss-for-rio/

Does anyone have any insight into how exactly this was determined? I would think that after the previous performances, someone would know better. Is Mitchell closely associated with any USATF higher-ups?

This is not a trolling attempt btw. I'm genuinely curious about how USATF decided on an ex-doper who couldn't produce results.

Seyta wrote:

agip wrote:

cause he's so good at doping and handoffs.

Idiots

he got caught doping and his teams are horrible at passing.

USATF = morans of the highest order

http://whbl.com/news/articles/2016/apr/05/gatlin-coach-to-remain-as-us-relay-boss-for-rio/

Does anyone have any insight into how exactly this was determined? I would think that after the previous performances, someone would know better. Is Mitchell closely associated with any USATF higher-ups?

This is not a trolling attempt btw. I'm genuinely curious about how USATF decided on an ex-doper who couldn't produce results.

Someone likes and trusts him. That's all.

And you are shocked at this why?

While I watch the NCAA Basketball Championships with U North Carolina, where no athlete need worry about going to class (let's compare apples to apples)....

The last US relay coach (Drummond), who actually did a good job, is presently serving an 8-year ban for doping Tyson Gay. Is/was Mitchell Stephanie Hightower's boyfriend? That's been the story for some time.

I can't believe that somebody coaching at Texas A&M, Texas, Florida, or USC would not be willing to coach the relay team. But, then, that person would not be a friend of Stephanie.

To me, this type of move--after the negatives they got the last time they did this--is damaging to the USA brand, and the USOC should move to prohibit any coach with a prior doping positive from coaching in the Olympics.

Like who isn't doped?

Seyta wrote:

Does anyone have any insight into how exactly this was determined? I would think that after the previous performances, someone would know better. Is Mitchell closely associated with any USATF higher-ups?

This is not a trolling attempt btw. I'm genuinely curious about how USATF decided on an ex-doper who couldn't produce results.

Your question is 100% my question. If Dennis was really good at his job as relays coach I could understand wanting to hire him despite him being a convicted doper and having a conflict of interest but from everything I can tell he isn't that good at his job as relays coach.

I could coach the US 4x400 team, so lets look at Dennis' results in the short sprints where coaching supposedly is more important in terms of handoffs and finishing the race.

Dennis has coached the US team at the last 2 world relays and the World Champs. He is in a paid position by USATF to do this.

Since 2014 he has coached 10 teams in the 4x100 and 4x200, 50% of them have been DQd or not finished. That is terrible.

Here are his results.

4x100 Men (2/3 DQs)

World Relays 2014 DQ, World Relays 2015 Gold, DQ World Champs 2015

4x200 Men (2/2 DQs)

DQ 2014 and 2015 World Relays

4x100 Women (2 Silver, 1 Gold)

Gold 2014 World Relays, Silver 2015 World Relays, Silver 2015 World Champs

4x200 Women (1 Gold, 1 DNF)

Gold 2014 World Relays, DNF 2015 World Relays

50% failure rate for Dennis as coach.

My impression from talking to Max Siegel and going to a couple of Board Meetings is that the USATF national office wants to diminish the amount of controversy because it is hard to get more sponsors for the sport when there is one controversy after another. Yet they hire the convicted doper who has never publicly expressed remorse to coach the team despite by all outwards measure him not being very good at his job. If there is a ton of random luck in the job, and the US has been really unlucky, then that would be another reason not to hire Dennis. If it is like playing roulette, then hire a coach without the baggage.

Why are they hiring him? This is solely a decision of the national office as our article on him being hired last year pointed out. Mike Conley said, "My High Performance Committee did not vet Dennis. He was totally hired by the national office.” Conley went on to say that he wished there was a discussion on the merits of hiring Mitchell as that is something that should have been done.

Good for him.

I suspect that many at USATF think the campaign to oust Mitchell is race inspired.

With that attitude it becomes very hard to fire someone.

If they do fire the guy that is giving in to the racists.

I am sure that many african americans at USATF think the only reason people care about doping is that they racists.

Very well done Wejo!

I also wish you would put up a huge headline on the front page about the Silver and Bronze medal upgrades for Shalane Flanagan, Kara Goucher, and Jo Pavey.

They all really DESERVE it after the news again of the ban of Elvan Abeylegesse, the Ethiopian from Turkey. We all need some good news to read like that!

This entire situation at USATF is completely unacceptable.

At this point the USATF has become a just a bad joke.

This situation at USATF is not funny anymore, at all.

agip wrote:

I suspect that many at USATF think the campaign to oust Mitchell is race inspired.

With that attitude it becomes very hard to fire someone.

If they do fire the guy that is giving in to the racists.

I am sure that many african americans at USATF think the only reason people care about doping is that they racists.

It is "race" inspired alright. As in we want the team being coached to actually complete the "race" without being DQ'd.

. . . just too many DQ's not to give another coach a shot.

Welcome to the real world, kids.

What's the big deal? Seb Coe is a doper, and he's head of the IAAF.

He must know something.

This is just another example of the corruption and cronyism that Hightower and Siegel has brought to the USATF. Besides being a convicted doper, his record connotes what a terrible coach he has been. Disgraceful.

Probably Gatlin said he wouldn't run relay if Mitchell didn't coach it.

Is this a surprise to anyone?

Team USA is always full of people known to have failed drug tests. At least Kenya does not recycle known druggies

1. I don't like rewarding dopers, but I also don't see why they can't coach--I don't think a doper is more likely to dope the athletes they coach (still the athlete's decision anyway).

2. The final isn't the only relay race. At least the '15 WC 400m relay team looked great in the prelims; in the final, the anchor (Rodgers--seems like he should be running a turn) heard footsteps and freaked the f out. That should be more on him and his personal coach than the handoff coach. I don't remember the other teams off the top of my head.

3. I don't think Mitchell is an amazing choice and don't doubt the politics, but I do think consistency has something to do with it as well. They should build on that and try to keep the same team for as long as possible and run the prelims and finals with the same lineup at all champs.