Metcalf steps down from coaching at University of Washington

Jujbb wrote:

Iswhatitis wrote:

So what your saying is... He is a distance coach? That fits the description of everyone I have none at a power5 and upper midmajor level.

Definitely a product of the NCAA D1 system. Many many others out there, but most are not in running-centric towns like Seattle where there are many eyes on the program.

The things you are saying are basically the description of D1 athletics--all sports. A college coaches job is 100% dependent on the abilities of 18-22 year olds. Is there an optimum weight for a distance runner? yes. Do coaches benefit of getting every inch out of a runner until the break and then replaced? yes. Do coaches benefit from having complete obedience and loyalty from their athletes? yes. The shame IS college athletics, not the coaches. This goes on everywhere, maybe some coaches are more charming and can get away with it, but go to any podium level team and you will find the same complaints.

Iswhatitis wrote:

ABC12310 wrote:

I’ll give some details. Metcalf sexually harasses his female athletes, making them extremely uncomfortable. He calls them fat and at one time required non-private weigh-ins in the weight room. He treats his athletes like race horses, running them until they are too injured to compete and then threatening with removal of scholarship if they can’t heal in time. He messes with them psychologically - creating an extremely unhealthy dependence. It’s upsetting how many careers/lives he has ruined and a shame that it was allowed to go on so long.

So what your saying is... He is a distance coach? That fits the description of everyone I have none at a power5 and upper midmajor level.

Im not quite sure why him being a “distance coach” makes his behavior acceptable. That type of behavior is never acceptable, and comments like that are the reason this behavior continues.

Tyson wrote:

there’s no reason UW should have a ... worse XC program than U of Portland.

Except RC knows how to develop athletes. There's a reason.

Bring back Jimmy Bean. Best recruiter I’ve ever seen.

Bullshit.

Well, in a way you have to run the crap out of kids and hope they last a couple of seasons. If you try to bring them along and develop them there is a good chance you will lose your job. Head coaches with a sprint background don't care if you do it right, they just want it done. If you ruin a kid, get another one. The rest of the stuff about Metcalfe I can't say, you don't have to be a dick.

Hayduke wrote:

The things you are saying are basically the description of D1 athletics--all sports. A college coaches job is 100% dependent on the abilities of 18-22 year olds. Is there an optimum weight for a distance runner? yes. Do coaches benefit of getting every inch out of a runner until the break and then replaced? yes. Do coaches benefit from having complete obedience and loyalty from their athletes? yes. The shame IS college athletics, not the coaches. This goes on everywhere, maybe some coaches are more charming and can get away with it, but go to any podium level team and you will find the same complaints.

So what your saying is... He is a distance coach? That fits the description of everyone I have none at a power5 and upper midmajor level.

You guys are truly sick individuals and at the core of this problem. This kind of stuff is not how you treat other human beings. To begin to even suggest that the most efficient way to run a program is to abuse your athletes and demand unwavering loyalty while playing mind games with them is some kind of dystopian fantasy novel type stuff.

If you want to get the most productivity out of people you need to inspire them and foster their growth (not that this type of environment is void of high expectations and consequences). Look no further than the many massive companies implementing these out of the box productivity strategies.

This is all honestly a disgusting shame. I don't know what it is about coaching that attracts these degenerate minds.

some coach. wrote:

Well, in a way you have to run the crap out of kids and hope they last a couple of seasons. If you try to bring them along and develop them there is a good chance you will lose your job. Head coaches with a sprint background don't care if you do it right, they just want it done. If you ruin a kid, get another one. The rest of the stuff about Metcalfe I can't say, you don't have to be a dick.

More bullshit.

Where does it say we support this? We are saying in our experiences and the first word experiences of runners at Stanford, Oregon and Arkansas this was how it was done. I do not support this. But am clearly saying to throw this guy under the bus while it all around us is ignorant and shows a high level of denial.

Hayduke wrote:

Where does it say we support this? We are saying in our experiences and the first word experiences of runners at Stanford, Oregon and Arkansas this was how it was done. I do not support this. But am clearly saying to throw this guy under the bus while it all around us is ignorant and shows a high level of denial.

if that was not how you meant it than I apologize. These things are emotionally charged for those of us that have been on the receiving end of the antics of these people. No doubt it is all around us, another coach was fired after being outed in the same state just a while back. There are attorneys who have made careers for themselves forcing universities to settle with athletes over abusive coaches.

This is my opinion as someone who has interacted with Greg and his athletes, I don't bear him any special personal animus (despite an incident for which he later backed down from his intemperate initial reaction and which nonetheless had a real and negative effect on my athlete).

The problem is that I feel his methods reflect the systemic problems with the D-1 system, prioritizing recruiting and meat-grinder training and racing application to meet expectations of AD's throughout the system. Certain exceptional coaches like Conner and Wetmore have transcended this poor athletic environment, and others like Schumacher managed to leave it; I'm afraid that Mr. Metcalfe, among many others, is mired in it.

Hayduke wrote:

Where does it say we support this? We are saying in our experiences and the first word experiences of runners at Stanford, Oregon and Arkansas this was how it was done. I do not support this. But am clearly saying to throw this guy under the bus while it all around us is ignorant and shows a high level of denial.

I’m sorry, but this man deserves to be thrown under the bus, as does any individual that treats athletes the way he treated his. Blaming it on the institution does not excuse his behavior in any way (or any other coaches behavior). You should put yourself in the shoes of the current and past athletes and think about the damage this does to people.

Metcalf and Pete Dolan need to go have drink together and talk about how mentally soft kids are today.

Seattle has become so hi-tech with Amazon and Boeing they'll be choosing a Social Media favorite for Dir T&F from Nor Cal or L.A. where internet focus has the world's attention these days.

Dembele Dembele wrote:

[quote]Tyson wrote:

there’s no reason UW should have a ... worse XC program than U of Portland.

I don't have info on this but simply want to simply remind people when someone loses their job it's difficult and I also want to correct some lazy arguments like the one above.

Areyou crazy? I don't know the scholarship situation but if one program is fully funded (I dont think UP is but whatever money they have goes to xc) and goes all in on xc and another program tries to do track and field and xc, I'd expect the team that was 100% xc to beat the track/xc program.

Plus the poster above is sexist as the UW women are way better than the UP women in xc.

Why shouldn't a coach expect unwavering loyalty? When is it justified for an athlete to not be loyal to the coach?

And what mind games? You make it seem like he created a cult. Is he telling runners the only way to get faster is to drink human blood?

You are so quick to insult the guy, and I am sure he is a scumbag, but your vague criticisms and absence of specifics actually makes you look just as bad as him.

Sounds like just another coach with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The good news is that these disgusting people are on a collision course with the times we're living in and soon will have to move on to jobs where this sort of behavior is valued and encouraged, like the military and drug dealing.

Coach Cookie=Beta male

True coach wrote:

Coach Cookie=Beta male

I'm actually a female kiddo.

And I think your mom just called you upstairs for dinner. Don't want to miss dinner, I'm sure...