Jump to content

Track & Xc Assistant Coaches

Welch

By Welch
in Mean Green Athletics

 Share

Recommended Posts

Welch Newbie

Welch

Posted
Posted

Two of the assistant track coaches have left the program. The distance and cross country coach, Dr. Robert Vaughan, and the multi event coach (can't remember her name) have both gone their separate ways. It will be interesting to see who is brought in. Dr. Robert Vaughan was a well accredited coach known around the country for coaching skills. I will always wonder why he could not make things work for the mean green distance runners (Perhaps a lack of funds and support coming from above?). Rick Watkins remains as the head coach. It seems as the sprinters have their act together so maybe we can get a distance coach and multi event coach that can produce more than they have in the past. This could bring the track team to compete on a more national level if we can bring in a decent distance coach. I have heard rumor that the former Abilene Christian distance coach (coached ACU to a few national championships in XC and track) has applied. Supposedly he has African connections. I'm not sure if anyone cares about this but I will update as I hear news.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
GrandGreen Grand Master

GrandGreen

Posted
Posted

Two of the assistant track coaches have left the program. The distance and cross country coach, Dr. Robert Vaughan, and the multi event coach (can't remember her name) have both gone their separate ways. It will be interesting to see who is brought in. Dr. Robert Vaughan was a well accredited coach known around the country for coaching skills. I will always wonder why he could not make things work for the mean green distance runners (Perhaps a lack of funds and support coming from above?). Rick Watkins remains as the head coach. It seems as the sprinters have their act together so maybe we can get a distance coach and multi event coach that can produce more than they have in the past. This could bring the track team to compete on a more national level if we can bring in a decent distance coach. I have heard rumor that the former Abilene Christian distance coach (coached ACU to a few national championships in XC and track) has applied. Supposedly he has African connections. I'm not sure if anyone cares about this but I will update as I hear news.

Appreciate the news, although I am not sure whether it is good or bad. I hope it is a case of upgrading the program not of having coaches leave because of poor funding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Welch Newbie

Welch

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Appreciate the news, although I am not sure whether it is good or bad. I hope it is a case of upgrading the program not of having coaches leave because of poor funding.

I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure this is a case of upgrading coaches... aka, not the coach's choice to leave the program. In that case, this should be a good change (of course depending on who is brought in).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
Welch Newbie

Welch

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Does Carl Sheffield still coach the sprinters/hurdlers?

Carl Sheffield is not coaching anymore. One of his athletes, Sammy Dabbs, has taken over his position and has done a great job at it the past couple of years.

Watkins has hired former ACU coach Sam Burroughs as the distance/cross country coach. He took over ACU two years ago. The team he took over was a national championship team, and as far as I have seen, he did nothing with that team. This will be interesting to watch. He is a young guy that is energetic about his job, which is far opposite from what UNT had at this position.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
GrandGreen Grand Master

GrandGreen

Posted
Posted

Carl Sheffield is not coaching anymore. One of his athletes, Sammy Dabbs, has taken over his position and has done a great job at it the past couple of years.

Watkins has hired former ACU coach Sam Burroughs as the distance/cross country coach. He took over ACU two years ago. The team he took over was a national championship team, and as far as I have seen, he did nothing with that team. This will be interesting to watch. He is a young guy that is energetic about his job, which is far opposite from what UNT had at this position.

acu.sidearmsports.com/staff.aspx?staff=59

Actually looks like a great hire to me, ACU did finish 4th in the nation last year in their Division. You must have high standards.

Both Iona and ACU pretty much lived on foreign runners mostly Kenyans. So I would expect that to happen here. I have mixed feelings about that, but if NT wants to break WKU and MTSU stranglehold on the "all sports competition", this is the best way to do it. Create a very strong cross country team that also will dominate the track long distance events. It won't be easy because WKU, MTSU, Arkansas State and others use exactly that strategy, so it will take very good foreign athletes to win.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Welch Newbie

Welch

Posted
  • Author
Posted

acu.sidearmsports.com/staff.aspx?staff=59

Actually looks like a great hire to me, ACU did finish 4th in the nation last year in their Division. You must have high standards.

Both Iona and ACU pretty much lived on foreign runners mostly Kenyans. So I would expect that to happen here. I have mixed feelings about that, but if NT wants to break WKU and MTSU stranglehold on the "all sports competition", this is the best way to do it. Create a very strong cross country team that also will dominate the track long distance events. It won't be easy because WKU, MTSU, Arkansas State and others use exactly that strategy, so it will take very good foreign athletes to win.

I don't think that Burroughs had much to do with the foreigners recruited at Iona or ACU. He took over a 1st place team when he came into ACU. Pretty much that entire team that he took over was foreign. He basically inherited a fourth place team. It is very difficult to change a cross country team within one year.

MTSU is really the only foreign powerhouse in the Belt right now. WKU has a couple of decent ones and so does UALR. Arkansas State's foreigners are not worth calling foreign and USA has gotten rid of most of their foreigners and is going to an all American team.

Our cross country team has finished 3rd and 4th the last couple of years. MTSU and WKU have stood in the way both years. I think his first priority should be finding American guys that want to put in the work, after AND ONLY AFTER THAT he should go foreign. There are American guys that will run just as well as most foreigners and cost less money, the key is putting the effort into recruiting them. He also has to be a decent coach to get them into the kind of shape to compete.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
KRAM1 Newbie

KRAM1

Posted
Posted

Our cross country team has finished 3rd and 4th the last couple of years. MTSU and WKU have stood in the way both years. I think his first priority should be finding American guys that want to put in the work, after AND ONLY AFTER THAT he should go foreign. There are American guys that will run just as well as most foreigners and cost less money, the key is putting the effort into recruiting them. He also has to be a decent coach to get them into the kind of shape to compete.

AMEN to recruiting American runners...now if only we could get the tennis program to do the same thing....OK, so it's not exactly the same, but every scholarship given to a foreign athlete means that some American kid is not getting a chance. Makes absolutely no sense to me. maybe the change needs to come at the NCAA level????

  • Upvote 2
  • Downvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Tell a friend

    Love GoMeanGreen.com? Tell a friend!

  • What's going on Mean Green?

    1. 22

      Former Drake Guard Atin Wright commits to North Texas

      Yes, foolish us fans for thinking players are here in the program and loyal to the school.
      NT80 in Mean Green Basketball
    2. 22

      Former Drake Guard Atin Wright commits to North Texas

      It's easier for us to say it's fun since we're not the ones who have to recruit an entire new team every year, but it's honestly exciting to see how the new team is built. The max exodi of beloved players sucks, but in this new age losing guys like TP, Drez, Rubin and Aaron doesn't have to mean a several-year rebuild. Now we can "retool" and even get better. I think this year was more of a gut punch because it felt to me and many others that Rubin and Aaron were Mean Green for life. They've been the constant leaders throughout the past turnover. But even healthy we weren't the most talented team in the conference. And I trust Hodge. The past seven years Grant and Hodge have run a clean program and as much as I love the guys who have played for us, I trust Hodge and Forte will continue recruiting players who will be good representatives of the university, even if only for a year. I also agree we need two more PF's - at least one who can space the floor shooting 3's. Assuming we have at least three scholarships left, so assume we'll see another guard. I'd like to see us bring on one guy who's averaged 18PPG or more. Doesn't matter which position though it'd be a nice changeup for it to be a high scoring big man.
      • 1
      • Upvote
      Matt from A700 in Mean Green Basketball
    3. 7

      The last home games of the 2023-24 school year

      Weather has become a factor in a lot of games this season. Wet spring has really made this softball season pleasant. Feel like we had several 90+ degree games last season.
      • 1
      • Upvote
      Matt from A700 in Mean Green Football
    4. 16

      SB vs Wichita State (4/26)

      Here's what the conference tournament would look like if it started today. Finished 2nd or 3rd is the difference between having to win just two games in two days, or four games in four days. Wednesday, May 8 - First Round Game 1: No. 5 Wichita State vs No. 8 South Florida - 10 a.m. (ESPN+) Game 2: No. 4 Tulsa vs No. 9 UTSA - 1 p.m. (ESPN+) Game 3: No. 6 UAB vs No. 7 East Carolina - 4 p.m. (ESPN+) Game 4: No. 10 Memphis vs No. 3 North Texas - 7 p.m. (ESPN+) Thursday, May 9 - Second Round Game 5: Winner WSU/USF vs Winner Tulsa/UTSA - 12 p.m. (ESPN+) Game 6: Winner UAB/ECU vs Winner Memphis/UNT - 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+) Friday, May 10 - Semifinals Game 7: Winner WSU/USF/Tulsa/UTSA vs No. 1 FAU - 12 p.m. (ESPN+) Game 8: Winner UAB/ECU/Memphis/UNT vs No. 2 Charlotte - 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+) Saturday, May 11 - Championship Game 9: Winner Game 7 vs Winner Game 8 - 11 a.m. (ESPN2)
      • 2
      • Thanks
      • Upvote
      Matt from A700 in Mean Green Athletics
    5. 16

      SB vs Wichita State (4/26)

      Yes, win 2 of 3 in Charlotte and should be at least Top 2. If we do that and there's a three-way tie for first at 19-8, I'd imagine we'd take the top spot because we'd be 4-2 vs. the field, FAU 3-3, and Charlotte 2-4 in that hypothetical. Thanks! Wasn't able to watch that game, just kept up on Twitter.
      • 1
      • Upvote
      Matt from A700 in Mean Green Athletics

  • Popular Contributors

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      15,379
    • Most Online
      1,865
    KeithSHU
    Newest Member
    KeithSHU
    Joined

WE BELIEVE IN THE MEAN GREEN!

News

Recruiting

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Please review our full Privacy Policy before using our site.