Options after getting kicked off Umass team

Could you please give use your times??That would make your post more relevant.. poor athletes get cut/quit very often at D1 programs, and are quick to blame the coach.

Umass Alumni wrote:

I ran for coach OB a long time ago. He is a horrible person and horrible coach. He kicked you off because you made him feel threatened. This doesn't surprise me at all with a piece of sh*t person such as himself.

He is one of 3 people in my life I hate with an extreme passion.

Back in the day, there was a young man on the team who was hooking up with OB's daughter. When OB found out, he made the young man run endless 400 repeats. He didn't let the kid stop until the boy finally just quit the team.

Ahem-Ahem wrote:

Could you please give use your times??

That would make your post more relevant.. poor athletes get cut/quit very often at D1 programs, and are quick to blame the coach.

Umass Alumni wrote:

I ran for coach OB a long time ago. He is a horrible person and horrible coach. He kicked you off because you made him feel threatened. This doesn't surprise me at all with a piece of sh*t person such as himself.

He is one of 3 people in my life I hate with an extreme passion.

Back in the day, there was a young man on the team who was hooking up with OB's daughter. When OB found out, he made the young man run endless 400 repeats. He didn't let the kid stop until the boy finally just quit the team.

He already did, early on. Try to keep up, pokey.

I think this is a great example of how conflicts can arise from generational gaps. I think the OP should have had the right to expect the coach to not punish him for sharing his opinion, especially since it was solicited. But the coach comes from a different era when nobody would have voiced their belief that the coach bore some blame for the team's performance. But the bottom line is that the coach was clearly in the wrong for kicking you off the team. I would strongly encourage you to request a meeting with the AD just to lay out your story and ask his advice. He may tell you there's nothing you can do but I would think he'd have some sympathy for your situation and perhaps broker an agreement with coach. You'd be amazed at what open and honest communications can do to solve a problem like yours. Best of luck to you!

O'Brien needs to get the boot soon, UMass usually gets the cream of the crop of Massachusetts high school runners and makes nothing of them. It's time to Make UMass Great Again and get the touchy feely coach from Harvard for these soft boys

MUGA wrote:

O'Brien needs to get the boot soon, UMass usually gets the cream of the crop of Massachusetts high school runners and makes nothing of them. It's time to Make UMass Great Again and get the touchy feely coach from Harvard for these soft boys

Great "again.?"

Zoo-Mass was never great.

I always get what I want. When I see what I want, I just take it. Im hard as prison steel, bro. You sound feminine. Are you?

It's not a generation gap. It's an asinine, senile gap with objective reasoning. OB needs to move to a retirement community in Florida and wear his speedos on the beach.

I'm liking O'Brien more and more.

What color Speedos? What beach?

Did he coach Randy Thomas

Anonymous Umass wrote:

Hey Jay,

I am not going to say who I am but I am absolutely going to respond to this. I know the Umass track/xc program inside and out and as a result know that the above post is extremely immature, extremely misleading and downright incorrect on a number of accounts.

What I do know is that it is a soft, unprofessional and immature move to attempt to pin the poor performance of the UMass XC team on a coach who has consistently and recently demonstrated the ability to coach at a very high level. Hopefully you learn to grow up soon.

Can anyone out there figure out which post was sent in by super-fan John Legere (aka Jay in his UMass days). I have a theory on it...

The number of people mouthing off like Jay's life is over because "he made his bed" or "he talked back to authority" is depressing. Are you all such nutless pansies? Yes, yes you are, but try not to be. There may be hope for a few of you if you can find your sacks.

Ken O'Brien was really pissed at me once too, and chewed me out. Guess what, I'd pulled an idiotic stunt in a race, and I deserved it.

He also encouraged me when I'd had a flu and didn't feel race ready. The next day I PR'd in the 1500.

In the 70s, some kids left the team and most stayed, and excelled. Others, like me, were of modest talents (2:17 1000 yards), but we were on the bus with OB and gave it our best.

For every kid who comes and takes a shot at OB, I'd wager there are dozens like me who got the most they could out of the program and enjoyed every day.

As for those who bash UMass in general, get real. It's a great resource for the people of Massachusetts and the world at large.

0/10, the "80 year old doesn't use email" joke was already used, going the exact opposite is dumb.

I wonder who this could be....

I wonder who this could be....

Knew some of these guys from my experience with the team a few years back. UMass definitely manages to pull some talented runners, but lack of money can make it difficult. OB was pretty laid back, but occasionally would get on runners cases. Seemed like a good environment all together, with pretty nice kids, so this is surprising to hear. Some of the faster guys like Taylor and Groleau were absolute pricks though. Glad those cancers are out of your locker room now.

Besides that, for me it was a positive experiences. I would definitely look into WMDP. I wish you well.

move on wrote:

so i'll offer a different solution. move on. really. i don't mean to another program though. move on with your life.

your a senior at UMASS with academic aid. finish your program. focus on classes. get a good job. find a chic.

western mass distance is a solid program that you can still run with. enjoy the team aspect. compete at local races. etc.

your clearly not going to become a professional runner and as a senior, your basically done so bag it.

many posters here are focusing on how your are toxic to any other coach, burned your bridge, etc. no one will care about this once your out of school. its all nonsense. take the quenton cassidy approach. do your own thing....

You are a senior ... Find a chick ...

You are clearly not going ...

You are basically done ...'

You are out of school ... It's all nonsense ...

You almost got it right once.

Why is everyone telling this kid is soft? Didn't he say he wanted to train harder?

Bottom line the kid should have said "I want to train harder coach. My performance was not acceptable. I want to work hard and do whatever it takes to win conference."

It would nice to hear the other side. We are only getting his perspective. But still, the kid is not socially inept but he isn't soft.