It blows my mind every year that a school as prestigious as TCU, is as bad as they are in XC (specifically mens). In the past decade early every sport at TCU has become nationally ranked, except their XC team. They have so many recruiting tools at their fingertips but lack any sense of using them. They have next level facilities, a phenomenal campus, incredible girls, unreal parties (for the off-weekends), and they no doubt have the money to be a great program, but they lack a good coach or some other factor we don't know about. I've lived in the Fort Worth area for about 14 years and have kept tabs on the TCU XC team hoping one day they would figure it out, and in 2015 I really thought that was going to be the year they turned the program around and make Fort Worth proud. The 2015 freshman recruiting class was probably the best one they had achieved in over a decade. They acquired Eric Vetere out of 4x State Champion Southlake Carroll here in Texas, Glenn Lostritto out of New York, and Harrison Greer out of Houston. These three had the potential to move this team up the ranks not only in XC but in Track & Field as well. With Eric Vetere clocking in a 15:32 (5k), 20:03 (4-Mile), and 9:44 (2-Mile) out of high-school, this was THE guy they needed in their roster to set the standard for the Distance Squad. With Glenn Lostritto clocking a 4:21 (1600m), and 1:53 (800m), this is was their guy to train for the 800m or Mile to get them points at the big meets. Harrison Greer achieved a 4:27 (1600m) and 1:55 (800m) and was no doubt going to progress as Glenn Lostritto as his training partner. Yet, after only one year, all three of these runners have vanished and seemed to have quit the TCU XC Team and Track & Field Team. This fast turnover of runners is not the first time this has happened to TCU, but it was probably the most damaging. How can a school like this not be able to retain their runners? The first question, is the coaching staff. TCU has had 3 distance coaches in the past 5 years (Liz Wart, Liz Harmon, and Jennifer Fazioli), all having little success changing this program. At the start of the 2015 XC season, it looked as though the coaching staff did what they were supposed to and were having Eric Vetere run XC and have Glenn Lostritto and Harrison Greer train for track (since there was no sign of XC racing for Glenn Lostritto or Harrison Greer). Eric Vetere was the only freshman to achieve the Letterman award and had a promising start for a college runner. When the Track & Field season rolled around there was still no sign or Glenn Lostritto and Harrison Greer, and both had been removed from the roster. Social Media suggests both quit under their own will, not forcibly. And by the the start of the 2016 season, there was no sign of the three runners who could've changed the program, and seemed to only add a mediocre kid from the Houston Area . Within one year TCU managed to lose a 15:32 5k guy, 1:53 800m guy, and a 4:27 and 1:55 guy. This is just absolutely pathetic to even watch from the sidelines. I cant imagine what must've been the problem for all three to quit. Was it the coaching? The training program? Only way to know is to talk to the three runners, so the chances of us ever really knowing what the problem is, is slim to none. Another thing to think about is how the last three coaches have been girls, and I've heard from many D1 runners that male runners really need a male coach because the sport of running is different between genders and is approached differently as well. This might not be the problem, but its worth a shot. TCU should hire a young male coach for their male team. Someone who is recently out of running at a successful college program, or even someone who ran pro. TCU has everything they need to be successful, but the coach is the blurry part. They should offer a coaching position to someone like Craig Lutz, Colby Lowe, or someone who was successful in college and from the area who knows TCU and can connect to runners to turn the program around. I guess we'll never know what's really going on inside the TCU program, but TCU needs to figure something out. Consistently losing quality runners, and being last in the Big 12 for 14 years in a row is an absolute tragedy for the City of Fort Worth.
My advice to TCU, call in Eric Vetere, Glenn Lostritto, and Harrison Greer, and figure out the problem with those who faced it. There's no way of moving forward if you dont know what the problem is. Make Fort Worth Proud.