Matt Centrowitz named director of XC/track & field at Manhattan College

I love Coach. I once shaved my head and grew a mustache to look like him for a cross country meet. And all these claims that he couldn't handle emails, well that is ridiculous during my tenure at American. I answered every email. Coach would dictate the words, I would clean up the grammar and profanities and send them out. And what was my reward you ask? Several failed attempts at breaking 60 seconds for a 400, eating mcdonalds chicken nuggets until I vomited, and banging a girl to a book on tape, all to amuse the guys on the team.

i think it's funny that Manhattan just chewed up and spit out a guy (Nick McDonough)who was called "baby centro" for his crass behavior. obviously there's a type they find appealing.

dooodynou wrote:

oldmancentro wrote:

Manhattan will be a perfect fit- don't forget Centrowitz ran there before transferring to Oregon. Centrowitz is a fantastic coach. He may not be for everyone, but when an athlete chooses to run for him and listen to his suggestions they will do well. He may have been lackadaisical towards the end of his time at AU, but this is a fresh start, I'm excited to see what he does there.

LOL at fantastic coach. I know runners who have legitimate PTSD from running on American's team. He verbally abused his runners and ran them into the ground. His program was an absolute meat grinder, bone-grinder, self-esteem and self-worth grinder

Your friends sound like they have very brittle spirits. I hope they're able to overcome having a tough coach. Must be really hard for them...

I never said I didn't do the workouts or that I didn't work my ass off. I did everything coach asked me to, but the program clearly didn't work for me because I was constantly injury or overtrained. I could have potentially made a different on the team (even just a few points at a conference track meet) if I had a training program more tailored to my mileage base, injury past, and current fitness as opposed to just hanging on to workouts with the top guys

You're telling me that a good coach doesn't individualize training programs? God, I hope you're not a coach.

And yes, the Whartons know their stuff, but a few stretches daily doesn't fix form flaws, or musculoskeletal imbalances. And coach didn't even believe in half of that stuff.. he belittled the idea that evidence-based sport science had any merit over old school grit and determination.

yayrunning78 wrote:

Can't speak to his performances, but MC is such an annoying coach. Watched his workout wednesday with Matt Jr. the other day and his constant yelling is just unnecessary... I mean your son is a pro, olympic champion, I don't think he needs some middle aged dude to yell at him to go faster when he is hitting his splits perfectly.

Yeah except that's not some "middle aged dude", that's his dad.

kieth washington wrote:

I find it funny how Manhattan College and MC track alum loves to claim this guy but he ran for them 1 year before bailing on them and heading west. If he was such a NY/Manhattan College man then why not stay and try to be the base to build the program into a national power.

Big question what will last longer his time as a runner at Manhattan College or his time as a coach

If you read his book, you'd know that he drove himself to nationals at Manhattan College because his coach didn't even go. Who wouldn't leave that for Oregon???

Chris Repka wrote:

Listen guys, I “ran” for Centro for a few years. Was I a terrible runner? Yes. Did I learn anything? I don’t know. I was strictly B team and he only spoke to me twice, the first time was to ask me to hold the elevator and the second time he called me Jake. One time Sean Dash showed me his balls in the visiting team locker room though...

I'm not sure why whatever former "teammate" this is, but I you must think that I'm one of the highly critical individuals on this board. I posted under "unfulfilled potential", if you'd like to know. Nothing other than a reflection on how the program would have been better for development of runners... I've decided to not make any remarks on Coach's character or behavior one way or another.

Strange that you'd decide to target me more than a decade after our time at American. I could try to guess who this is but I won't be a a-hole like you. Hope that's working out for you.

From the article:

Centrowitz wraps up his conversation with the recruit and his phone rings immediately. Another recruit has just returned from a college visit. Centrowitz asks him what he liked most about that campus. “The scenery, huh?” Centrowitz says. “We can beat that scenery. We got some skirts down here that you won’t forget. Yeah, you like the sound of that? You’re gonna like the taste of that, the feel of that, and everything. Hey, this school’s 70 percent girls. You didn’t know that? And they’re all homesick for their boyfriends, so help them out.”

Talking about the girls that way to a recruit, that would weird me out if an old man coach did that to a high school kid.

The team’s brief success from 04-07 had more to do with team chemistry than coaching. We were all best friends, similar personalities and humor, roughly similar (“good for the patriot league”) ability. College was fun and running was fun because of the memories we made together. When you’re having fun, it’s easier to improve as an athlete. I get the sense that for most of the rest of matt’s career at AU, being on the team was not fun. Being reamed out by coach “toddler with a mustache” isn’t as easy to put up with when the team isn’t a brotherhood.

Taxonomy wrote:

The team’s brief success from 04-07 had more to do with team chemistry than coaching. We were all best friends, similar personalities and humor, roughly similar (“good for the patriot league”) ability. College was fun and running was fun because of the memories we made together. When you’re having fun, it’s easier to improve as an athlete. I get the sense that for most of the rest of matt’s career at AU, being on the team was not fun. Being reamed out by coach “toddler with a mustache” isn’t as easy to put up with when the team isn’t a brotherhood.

So you're saying that working together and being focused on a similar goal made you a better team? SHOCKER. Definitely nothing to do with the coach...

Anyone else bored/amused by all these old AU guys debating each other 15 years later about how much their coach sucked?

running commenter wrote:

Taxonomy wrote:

The team’s brief success from 04-07 had more to do with team chemistry than coaching. We were all best friends, similar personalities and humor, roughly similar (“good for the patriot league”) ability. College was fun and running was fun because of the memories we made together. When you’re having fun, it’s easier to improve as an athlete. I get the sense that for most of the rest of matt’s career at AU, being on the team was not fun. Being reamed out by coach “toddler with a mustache” isn’t as easy to put up with when the team isn’t a brotherhood.

So you're saying that working together and being focused on a similar goal made you a better team? SHOCKER. Definitely nothing to do with the coach...

If the coach was the mastermind behind that chemistry you should have seen more sustained success before and after the class of ‘07 passed through.

The other thing I want to clear up is that, although yes I did often balance large objects from my head and face to impress people, no it did not ever get me laid.

That’s it.

Taxonomy wrote:

running commenter wrote:

So you're saying that working together and being focused on a similar goal made you a better team? SHOCKER. Definitely nothing to do with the coach...

If the coach was the mastermind behind that chemistry you should have seen more sustained success before and after the class of ‘07 passed through.

Let’s not overlook the class of 2008 in terms of the firepower they brought to the team with Fennell and Hallinan being the leaders of the last 2 teams to make NCAA XC. The Fall 2007 XC season was also the last time the team won conference, and the team placed 4th at regionals.

Matt should get some credit for the athletes that were brought in with the 2007-2008 graduating classes. I’ve already said my opinion of his limitations so I won’t repeat myself.

The fact that he yelled AT ALL makes him a bad coach. There is no reason to ever yell at an athlete as a coach, unless you're yelling splits across the track. You can get angry, yes, but raising your voice is unnecessary.

Its hard, its possible to be a good coach, a good person, and improve your athletes on and off the track all at the same time. If you're not trying to do those things, then you are automatically a bad coach in my opinion.

Do not let the actions of small men deter you from speaking your truth. The insults and mockery they sling at you come from the insecurity of knowing that the truth is not on their side.

BadCoachWatcher wrote:

The fact that he yelled AT ALL makes him a bad coach.

Really?

So you have to be a registered user to comment on this thread now?

The Fokus wrote:

BadCoachWatcher wrote:

The fact that he yelled AT ALL makes him a bad coach.

Really?

I would say it matters more what is being said than the volume of what is said. However, Matt had a tendency to combine volume with inappropriate comments and actions. At least in my experience, the yelling gets old after a while and it begins to lose its intended effectiveness.