Wisconsin Badgers Downfall?

Mick needs to retire. Why Ed Nuttycombe chose him to the Director of Running is beyond all reasoning. The track team has gone downhill since Mick took over.

Please retire Mick

Listened to Mick Byrne whine during his press conference about how hard it is to get his kids ready to race in mid-October. That is his current excuse for why the men's team missed nationals. So.....let's get this straight... Wisco has hosted the most important pre-championship meet on the schedule for years now on their home course and he says the team can't get up for the meet. This guy is quite a story teller. It's also clear he is not coaching the women's team. He had very little to say about that team which is a shame as that program under Jill Miller has been steadily improving. It makes no sense why he does not let Jill Miller handle press conferences for her team. She can give a real report on the team and preview the championships.

As has been said before, it is time for Mick to move on. Wisconsin has 2 HS junior guys that are total studs in Meinke and Bosley. I am afraid they will choose to go somewhere else with the current coaching at UW in disarray. Make a change now and give the up and coming talent some hope.

Mick blamed the "system" for not rewarding the last meets of the season. What a joke. When they had the incredible long streak of appearances at nationals (I forgot the number) and the long streaks of Big Ten wins and Regional wins, the system was exactly the same.

Another pathetic excuse for not doing well.

Your right, this bad year of XC should make recruiting much more difficult.

RETIRE please.

Miller is out coaching Byrne!!!

Nationals done......waiting for Mick Byrne to steal the credit from Coach Jill Miller

Jerry Shoemaker wrote:

Nationals done......waiting for Mick Byrne to steal the credit from Coach Jill Miller

Sorry — point of clarification — but does Miller actually coach Hoare and Hardy (whose names, together, read like an old-timey comedy duo)?

I can't wait to hear Mick's excuses after nationals. What the heck happened to Hoare? I agree he will take credit for Jill Miller's work. Mick should retire, or Alvarez should fire him. It will be embarrassing when they don't qualify for nationals on their home course.

Great coaching when your highest placing runner finishes in 92nd place. Last week Mick said the team deserved to be at Nationals but the system is flawed and it kept them out! Another erroneous prediction by Mick B.

Northern Arizona scored 74 points with their top 5 runners.

...and Jill Miller's team (not coached by Mick) ran lights out today to finish 10th. But I'm guessing Mick makes 4x Jill's salary.

Congrats to the Wisco women and Jill.

Amazing article about Sarah Disanza.

http://www.uwbadgers.com/news/2017/11/16/womens-cross-country-determined-disanza-senior-captain-leaves-mark-on-badger-program.aspx

You know - when I was in college I always second guessed my coach and even tho was late 90's there was enough on the internet that I knew what other programs were doing and wondered why we were not doing that. I still had a solid career - sub 8 and sub 1350 which was more unusual then than it is now. But - I ( and my coach ) know that I didn't reach my potential. Save the obvious reaction but I was training with a guy that ran sub 1340 and he couldn't touch me in training. Like legit coasting in training when he was balls to wall. I also stayed around my college town so was close to the program although I stopped running after college. I won't lie I went on letsrun tones of times and slated the coach. Still second guessing things years later. Relevance of this. It's 20 years later and it's probably only last 5 years or so when I had family kids and work responsibilities and I've really reflected on things. And you know - now - I don't blame my coach one iota. We have all heard cliches about running being in the mind etc and that's part of this - but I guess I also think impact of coaching is over played. I think coaches can get marginal gains i.e. Take the 1346 down to 1343 - but it's the athlete that gets to 1346. Before everyone jumps in i of course realize there are coaches that can mess up an athlete - but I hope no one seriously thinks Byrne is doing that. So I know folks have said things above about mick blaming athletes and I guess I'm taking his side a little bit. I also bet some of those athletes are reading threads like tbis and that leads to more second guessing and more problems. If any of them are reading this - honestly have faith in your coach. Is he the best in the world A of course not. Has he coached multiple people to top 10 finishes at nationals? Yes. Were they all Uber talented who anyone could have got there: no freaking way. And to those sniping from here I don't think you are helping. Have faith program will return to its best - just wasn't to be this year

Took the words out of my mouth in some respects. I ran for mick back in the day and ran times that most of the letsrun faithful would die for - but still to this day know I didn't reach my potential. I don't blame Mick. I'm not even going to get into coaching but the other thing I'll say is more than 15 years since I graduated and every time mick in my part of the country we meet up and it's great to see him. Don't want to brag my think I'd qualify as pretty successful in business (in American speak I'm a 1%'er or higher) and you know - I definitely give some of micks life lessons the credit for getting me here.

So last point is easy to snipe anonymously on a message board - but mick has coached a national title and taken Iona to multiple podium places - doesn't happen by accident

You must have a supermodel wife, too. Right?

Nah - 7/10. Way to engage with the argument. Look forward to the next annonymous snipe from you.

Former Gael wrote:

Ooh Ah wrote:

You must have a supermodel wife, too. Right?

Nah - 7/10. Way to engage with the argument. Look forward to the next annonymous snipe from you.

Buddy, you can't come on here humble-bragging about your "to die for" times and "great business success" and NOT expect to be called out as a tool.

The two of you that have positive comments about Mick have very valid points (and I respect that), but the negatives of the last three or four seasons are also valid. Those of us that have been following the Wisco Men's team have spotted these problems and they are Mick's fault.

One of them is the high injury rate. The other are Mick's comments, or as we see it sorry or blameful excuses. We are being fair!

The great "legacy" has been ruined by Mick.

The long string of National Championship appearances, Big Ten Titles and Regional Titles all ended with Mick.

Ooh ah wrote:

Former Gael wrote:

Nah - 7/10. Way to engage with the argument. Look forward to the next annonymous snipe from you.

Buddy, you can't come on here humble-bragging about your "to die for" times and "great business success" and NOT expect to be called out as a tool.

Ya in hindsight - You are probably right. But I guess... I am kind of annoyed about annoynmous folks bashing my former coach... and i guess felt those points were relevant. Guess am wondering what your connection to Wisconsin coaching situation - and why posting in this thread. Should probably bump to 9/10 as my wife is sometimes on my phone and maybe she'll read this :)

One more example of this disaster. Addison Dehaven who went to Wisco but was run into the ground and injured, transferred to Boise and was All American yesterday. Have seen a Cory Immels at Boise pick up a couple guys that were run into the ground by other programs and rehab them into successful D1 runners. Wisco could use more of that coaching philosophy.