How Josh Hoey Went from Also-Ran to World Indoor Champion, Part I: A Coaching Odyssey

Josh Hoey did not want to make any more phone calls.

It was October 2023, the end of another failed track season, and Hoey, just a few weeks shy of his 24th birthday, had one foot out of professional running. His 800-meter personal best stood at 1:47.26 — barely faster than the 1:47.67 he had run to set the national high school indoor record five years earlier.

Hoey had one year remaining on his sponsorship contract with adidas, and had started interning with his father’s investment firm in preparation for a life after track. After cycling through five coaches in as many years, he had no interest in making another call to another coach who would explain why he could be the guy to get Josh Hoey to run fast.

“I was at a point where I didn’t really trust anyone and didn’t really know if we could make it work,” Hoey said. “But I was intent on just not going through the painful experience of missed expectations.”

Hoey had decided that if the 2024 season was to be his last, he would go out on his own terms and coach himself. That way, if it ended in failure, he would know exactly who to blame. A Shakespeare fan, Hoey even had a name kicking around in his head for his training group: the Once More Track Club. The coming season would be do-or-die, calling to mind the famous scene in Henry V where the king urges his troops to give one last effort during the siege of Harfleur:

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.

The rest of his family was not exactly on board with Josh taking the coaching reins. Hoey has a reputation for pushing hard in workouts, sometimes too hard. Through the years, his brothers and longtime training partners Jaxson (two years older) and Jonah (two years younger) had both injured themselves straining to keep up with Josh. The boys’ father, Fran, a successful financial advisor who has poured millions into their track careers, had heard good things about an Australian coach, Justin Rinaldi, and encouraged Josh to reach out.

Rinaldi came recommended by a family friend, Brad Sumner. In the 1990s, Fran, a 400/800 runner at La Salle University and Brad, an 800 All-American at Villanova, lived together in Philadelphia while working at local running store, Bryn Mawr Running Company. Given Brad’s 1:46 personal best, his recommendation already carried significant weight. But it meant even more considering Rinaldi was at that time coaching Brad’s son Will, the 2023 NCAA 800 champion for the University of Georgia. To try to convince Josh, Fran turned to his wife, Leslee.

“She was like, hey, your dad told me to convince you to call Justin,” Josh said. “So can you just make this easy on both of us and give him a call?”

Hoey went into the call planning to just check a box to satisfy his parents. But as he spoke with Rinaldi, he liked what he was hearing. Hoey has the speed to break 22 seconds in a flying 200 and the aerobic strength to have run 100-mile weeks in the past. He was searching for a way to combine speed and strength, and the system Rinaldi outlined sounded like a perfect fit, marrying many of the principles Hoey had hoped to incorporate by coaching himself.

“I had him for about five minutes on the phone and I’m like, you know what? This guy can do the coaching way better than I could ever do,” Hoey said.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends…

It did not take long for Rinaldi to make an impact. In 2024, Hoey dropped his personal best from 1:47.26 to 1:43.80 and went from never making it past the first round at a US outdoor championships to 4th in the country, just .15 shy of the Olympic team. Hoey has been even better in 2025, putting together an undefeated indoor season that ranks among the best-ever by an American middle-distance runner: American records in the 800 (1:43.24) and 1000 (2:14.48), wins over Grant Fisher in the 1500 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix and Bryce Hoppel in the 800 at the Millrose Games, a commanding victory at USA Indoors, and a gold medal at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.

As the 2025 outdoor season begins, the men’s 800 is the most competitive and exciting it’s been since the David Rudisha years, thanks to a new crop of stars led by Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Canada’s Marco Arop. Hoey, now 25, has never raced either man in an 800, but both he and his coach are excited to find out how he stacks up.

“I think Josh can run 1:41 right now,” Rinaldi told LetsRun.com at World Indoors.

Such an improvement in such a short time is rare, though slightly less so in the 800 meters, which has seen a few notable overnight transformations in recent years. American Brandon Johnson went from retired 400m hurdler in 2011 to 1:46 in 2012 to 1:43 and a spot on the World Championship team in 2013. Poland’s Patryk Dobek, another converted 400m hurdler, medalled at the Olympics in 2021 in his first year running the 800. And in 2015, a former DII star named Boris Berian went from 1:48 to 1:43, winning the World Indoor title the following year. (Sound familiar?)

Hoey won gold in Nanjing by just .04 of a second © Dan Vernon

None of those men enjoyed the same luxuries Hoey has over the last seven years: a consistent professional contract, a sole focus on the 800, a wealthy family willing to move mountains for his career (or at least the ground that needed to be levelled so Fran Hoey could build his sons a 400-meter private track during COVID). But neither did they carry the mountain of expectations Hoey found strapped to his back when he turned professional straight out of high school — a burden that caused him to cycle through coach after coach in search of success.

For most of the indoor season, Hoey made his victories look easy, burying fields on the last lap. That continued through the first two rounds at World Indoors, where he won his semifinal by almost two seconds. But he would not have it so easy in the final. Whether it was three straight days of racing or the cumulative fatigue of a long indoor season, Hoey’s legs began to give out in the home straight as Belgium’s Eliott Crestan tried to run him down. Hoey had to reach down to a place he had not been for a long time, but he found enough to hold on for gold in 1:44.77. The winning margin of .04 was the smallest at World Indoors in 19 years.

Hoey’s world title in Nanjing came down to three things: talent, confidence, and toughness. Hoey always had the first. Rinaldi helped him discover the second. And toughness? Sometimes that’s what comes after five years of grinding when the future looks a little less bright every day.

A nomadic existence

You can count the number of US men’s distance runners who have gone pro straight out of high school on one hand: Drew Hunter in 2016, Hoey in 2018, and Hobbs Kessler in 2021. All with adidas. Of the three, Hoey’s decision was easily the most shocking. Hunter, a Foot Locker champion and national record holder in the mile (3:57.81) and 3000 (7:59.33) indoors, had become one of the most famous runners in the country — including professionals — by the end of his senior year. Kessler’s 3:34.36 personal best in high school was already faster than the NCAA record at the time. Hoey was the clear #1 recruit in his class and the US U20 champion, but the track world was stunned when he announced in August 2018 he was declining a scholarship offer from the University of Oregon (who had changed coaches from Andy Powell to Ben Thomas that summer) to sign a professional deal with adidas.

Hoey knew the pressure that would come with turning pro, most of it self-imposed. He did not expect the criticism, which was scattered but still loud enough to affect an 18-year-old.

“I’m not sure what [the critics] expected,” Hoey said. “This was an opportunity to become a professional and try to learn how to compete at the highest level early on. I’m not sure if someone else got that opportunity why they wouldn’t take it.”

Coach #1

Since seventh grade, Hoey had been coached remotely by Terrence Mahon, one of the country’s top pro coaches, and, like Brad Sumner, a roommate and good friend of Fran Hoey’s in Philadelphia in the ’90s (Fran was a groomsman in Mahon’s wedding). Hoey had experienced success under Mahon’s coaching, but it came as a price. Disagreements between the Hoeys and Josh’s high school coaches over Mahon’s role meant Josh twice transferred high schools, from Malvern Prep to Downingtown West during his freshman year, then from Downingtown West to Bishop Shanahan after his sophomore year.

Fran Hoey said that when the opportunity came for Josh to turn professional, Mahon advised him to take it. So in the fall of 2018, Josh moved to San Diego to join Mahon’s Mission Athletics Club (since renamed to Golden Coast Track Club). Almost immediately, Hoey felt as if he was being forced in training to justify his place amongst a group of seasoned pros that included British Olympians Andrew Butchart and Chris O’Hare.

“I don’t think Terrence was that excited to have an 18-year-old kid [in the group],” Fran said. “Terrence is a really good coach, but he’s not a good coach for a young person.”

Things unraveled quickly. Josh struggled to handle the mileage at the team’s fall altitude camp in Mammoth Lakes and developed shin splints. Unable to train, his relationship with Mahon began to deteriorate (Mahon declined to be interviewed for this story).

“I was spending all day in my room with nothing to do and just being really depressed,” Josh said. “My dad called, and was like, ‘We need to get you out of there.’ Which I think was really important for my mental health at the time.”

Even after Hoey returned home to Pennsylvania early in 2019, Mahon continued to offer advice remotely throughout the outdoor season, but after failing to break 1:49 in any of his six races, Josh and Fran felt a change was necessary. That kicked off a five-year odyssey in which Josh went through five coaches, none lasting more than a year.

It was cyclical: Fran would work with Josh to find a new coach; Josh would start training under the new coach; Josh wouldn’t make progress, and the cycle would begin again.

Jaxson has been with his younger brother for every step. When Josh moved to San Diego in 2018, Jaxson, who had been running at the University of Oregon, left school to live and train with him. Jonah joined them the following year, finishing his senior year of high school online in 2019-20 so he could start training with them sooner. All three would eventually earn their college degrees online through Liberty University.

While both Jaxson and Jonah have received gear from adidas, neither has ever had a sponsorship contract, instead working for their father’s investment firm. Jaxson said the brothers’ journey has been challenging at times. He has been injured, a lot. There were moments when both he and Josh would grow frustrated with their lack of progress, occasionally leading to tension between the two of them. Jaxson tried to quit a few years ago, only for his parents to convince him to keep training.

Had he stayed at Oregon, Jaxson would have had the opportunity to train under one of the world’s top middle-distance coaches. Does he have any regrets about leaving the traditional college path?

“I probably would have run well under Ben Thomas,” Jaxson said. “But I really wanted to train with and support Josh just because he’s my brother and I love him and I just had a lot of belief in what we could do together. Even though it’s taken a long time for it to finally work out, I still believe in what we can do together.”

Jonah, meanwhile, went on two official visits during the college recruiting process. But Fran taught the boys early on that it is worth it to take risks in life. Jonah said he has no regrets about the decision he made not to compete in the NCAA.

“The official visits cemented my conviction that staying home was better, to be a part of something potentially greater than what I could do in college,” Jonah said. “…Even when it wasn’t going well, I didn’t feel any regrets, just because of how important I believe it is to take those risks. A lot of the difficulties and the struggles and the pain of not being successful I feel like has really helped us grow and mature as people.

“…It’s always been a family affair for us. It’s been an all-hands-on-deck, we’re all in this together, and we all work together. I would never want to get coached by someone else, because we’re really here as a team and as a family.”

Coach #2

Following Mahon in 2019 was the University of Akron’s Lee Labadie, who coached Clayton Murphy to Olympic 800 bronze in 2016. His relationship with the Hoeys only lasted until March 2020. COVID had hit, and Labadie was concerned about his future at Akron, which would end up cutting its men’s cross country program that spring (the team was reinstated in 2022).

Labadie believed in Josh’s talent and said that under different circumstances, he would have been happy to continue coaching the Hoeys.

“I was in the midst of trying to save my job,” Labadie said.

Coach #3

Next came Matt Centrowitz, the 1976 Olympian and father of 2016 Olympic 1500 champion Matthew. Centrowitz had recruited Jonah while coaching at Manhattan College, and though Jonah did not commit, he formed a connection with the Hoeys. When Centrowitz stepped down from Manhattan in 2021, Fran asked if he would be interested in moving to Pennsylvania to coach the boys at a facility that has come to be known as Hoey Farms.

In 2020, public track access had become restricted during COVID, and Fran was worried it would remain that way even once the virus dissipated. Concerned his boys would have nowhere to train, Fran bought a package of land in Coatesville, just outside of Philadelphia, and contracted Beynon Sports to build an eight-lane track featuring the same surface as Hayward Field on top of an old polo field. The property also features barns-turned-living quarters for the boys, a weight room, sauna, cold tub, and an office for Fran. The land alone cost $2.8 million. Fran declined to share the exact cost of the track, but said it cost “north of $1 million.”

Centrowitz was blown away by Fran’s dedication to his sons. If there was an obstacle in the way of their success, he would do whatever it took to remove it. If there was something that could make their lives easier, he would pay whatever it took to get it. And that went for the coach as well. Centrowitz needed a place to live? Fran bought him a townhouse in Kennett Square.

“If I wanted something, I’d just ask for it,” Centrowitz said. “He wanted me freed up…Cost wasn’t a factor.”

Through thick and thin, Jaxson (right) has always been there for his younger brother (Kevin Morris photo)

During his year in Pennsylvania, Centrowitz said he went to so many family dinners that he felt like an honorary Hoey. But on the track, Josh was still struggling. He would have a strong workout here or there, but there was no consistency. Josh said he felt perpetually drained of energy.

“[Fran] asked, do you think he could make the Olympic team?” Centrowitz said. “I said, I can’t see him making the Olympic team because he can’t run three days in a row. I could see him running 1:44 no problem. 3:52? No problem. But I couldn’t see him making these teams because he’s got to run rounds.

“He’d get this fatigue stuff. But I never questioned his talent, his desire, and his determination because he fought through all this stuff like crazy. A lot of times, you could tell there was a huge, huge effort to get out there.”

After a year with no signs of progress, Centrowitz was not offended when the Hoeys moved on. Fran views his sons careers as a business: Centrowitz had been given the resources, but he had not been able to deliver.

“I get it,” Centrowitz said. “That’s the way I was too. I didn’t get the job done. It didn’t happen under my [supervision], it’s time to go.”

Coach #4

The Hoeys briefly joined Empire Elite in the fall and winter of 2022-23, commuting to New York from Pennsylvania twice a week. By then, Josh was entering his fifth professional season yet had improved his 800 personal best by just .41 since high school. Tommy Nohilly, who coached the team alongside John Trautmann, could see Hoey still desperately wanted to be great. Maybe a little too much.

“He was willing to do whatever it took and more,” Nohilly said. “And because of that, some of the time he was overtaining and he was overworking. That was the biggest challenge as coaches for us was to get him to slow down and be more patient.”

Nohilly recalled a day in December 2022 where the team had been assigned a long run at a relaxed pace. A few miles in, he saw Hoey 100 meters ahead of the group. He told another runner to catch Hoey and tell him to slow down. Hoey gradually rejoined the pack, but when Nohilly saw the group again three miles later, Hoey was way out in front again running sub-6:00 miles.

“It wasn’t that he was trying to prove something to anybody,” Nohilly said. “He just wanted to work hard. But that wasn’t the point of what we were trying to do that day.”

Coach #5

The Hoeys spent 2023 in Jacksonville under Rana Reider, an experience Josh described as “miserable.” Reider’s expertise lies in the sprints and jumps, not the 800. Reider’s philosophy was that they might struggle at first, but eventually their bodies would adapt to the training. But for the Hoeys, it was nothing but struggle.

“There was never an easy run,” said Jonah. “We did have Sunday off, but it was either a workout or a basically all-out tempo run every day, sometimes twice a day.

“I want to give Rana a little bit of grace, but it did feel malicious at times. I think we were there for eight months. The first two or three months were very genuine…He did give those first two or three months really serious shot at trying to coach us. And when we weren’t improving, I think it was very difficult for him, so he just gave up on us, in a way.”

Josh had begun talking with a German sports psychologist, Henning Thrien, in 2022 after feeling depressed — something which, in retrospect, he believes explains why he so often felt tired and lacked energy under Centrowitz. He leaned on Thrien, and his brothers, to get him through a difficult season in Jacksonville.

Kevin Morris photo

“That’s when my mental health was at its worst,” Josh said. “Coming out of that situation, there was a borderline traumatic conversation with Rana where we ended up leaving. That’s why I was so reluctant to call Justin.”

Reider, who had been a sounding board for the Hoeys’ injuries for years before working with them in 2023, claimed the Hoeys’ stint in Jacksonville was not meant to be a permanent arrangement.

“I was only there to do rehab and get them healthy,” Reider said. “Fran and I knew it wasn’t a long-term structure. My goal was not to coach Josh and Jonah and Jaxson for years. It was get them healthy, get them training, get them to a fitness level so they could go somewhere.”

Reider admitted he had not coached a pro 800 runner for decades and that there may have been some miscommunication when it came to “easy” versus “tempo” runs. But he said the idea that he gave up on the Hoeys was “complete bullshit.”

“The whole goal was to train consistently,” Reider said. “I don’t know what they think genuine is. I showed up every day for training, they trained well. They stayed healthy, and that was the goal.”

The Sixth Time Is the Charm

Fran Hoey has always been invested in his sons’ careers. When Jaxson enrolled at Penn State, he bought a house near campus so the family could visit him. He did the same in Eugene when Jaxson transferred to Oregon. He has paid for training camps not just for the Hoey boys, but their training partners as well.

Fran has never regretted supporting his sons. But that support has come at a cost — and not just financially. The split with Mahon was ugly, and after decades of friendship, he and Fran are no longer on good terms.

“I don’t think I handled the end of that very well at all,” Fran said. “At some point in time, I will apologize to Terrence for being a volatile hothead. I think Terrence is a great guy and I would love to have a relationship at some point.”

Fran knows that in track circles, he is a divisive figure. Because he has poured so many resources into the boys’ careers, Fran has high expectations, and is not afraid to voice his feedback, bluntly at times. Some coaches are fine with that — Labadie and Centrowitz both spoke highly of him, with Nohilly saying he had “nothing but respect for Fran.” But he knows that other relationships have soured because of his approach and that his sons have felt the effects of that.

“A major regret would be that me being hard to work with has formed people’s opinion about Josh and Jaxson and Jonah, which is not fair,” Fran said. “…In the end, I’m just a dad trying to provide for his family.

“…I’m overcome with how much I potentially have mishandled this, and I feel a lot of responsibility to it. So when you go, why would you buy a house or why would you build a track? Because I’m trying to make up for some pretty terrible decisions I’ve made.”

Nohilly has worked with a number of athletes who found success later in their careers, so he is not surprised that Josh Hoey, whom he described as “super talented,” is succeeding under Rinaldi. But he believes changing coaches so frequently early in his career hampered Hoey’s development.

“With any system, you’ve gotta give it time,” Nohilly said. “…There is a disadvantage to changing methodologies that much.”

Josh does not see it quite the same way. He said he does not regret changing coaches so many times because ultimately, he does not believe any of his previous coaches’ training philosophies suited him in the way that Rinaldi’s does. If he has a regret, Josh said, it is that he should have taken a more active role when it came to selecting new coaches, rather than following his father’s lead. That, and treating Jaxson and Jonah better during the tough times.

“I took out a lot of anger and anxiety on them and our relationship was really strained for a while,” Josh said. “But I think the experience of trying to survive the in and out in Jacksonville brought us together.”

***

Part II: Going All-In With the Justin Rinaldi and the Fast 8 Track Club

For as long as he has been running, Justin Rinaldi has been obsessed with the 800 meters. As a teenager, he remembers riding a tram through Melbourne with his girlfriend when he caught sight of an electronics store that had a wall of TVs showing an 800-meter race at the 1988 Olympics. He hopped off the tram: he just had to watch. The winning time of the race was only 2:04.

“I go, ‘I ran 1:56 my first 800 in joggers. I can make the Olympics easily’,” Rinaldi said. “I was just obsessed.”

…

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