ubiQuitous1and to think of all the coaches who have come before Coach Holloway and were never able to earn the title:
1. Jimmy Carnes, '80 Olympic Head Coach
2. Joe Walker, SEC triple crown
3. John Webb 3rd, 4th and 5th place finishes at NCAA outdoor championships
4. Doug Brown, '96 US Olympic Assistant Coach and three time NCAA Outdoor Team Championships at Tennessee
@ubiQuitous1
I know that you are taking a little dramatic license here because Mike deserves all the accolades that he can get.
He is an excellent, excellent coach. However, at the risk of offending Mouse and his many friends I must speak out against your
purposely thin analogy.
I have known Joe Walker since 1972. As an opposing athlete and coach I have not always appreciated how good a coach he was. He is IMHO the best pure coach in the US, bar none. He left UF after a couple of great years to raise his family in an environment more conducive for his family. He took a program that was in shambles and made it instantly successful. There is no doubt in my mind that had Joe stayed at UF Mouse would probably be a long time assistant coach at UF and he would just now be getting his chance to be the head coach at UF. Of course, UF would be many times national champions in CC, indoor and outdoor.
The job Joe has done at Ole Miss is phenomenal. Although the facilities in no way compare to UF and the money that Ole Miss has for CC and track is about a tenth of what UF has, the list of great athletes that Joe has produced is fantastic. After 30 years he is retiring from Ole Miss and will become an assistant coach at Louisville where his son has just finished his first year as the distance coach. Again, he is doing something for his family.
In addition, one of the reasons for UF's recent success is the hiring of Brian O'Neal from Ole Miss. He got his training from his time as an athlete and coach under Joe Walker. He is now returning to Ole Miss as the head coach.
I think that Mike Holloway is truly a great coach but if Joe Walker had stayed at UF that first outdoor national championship would have occurred in the 80s and they would probably have a room dedicated to all the CC and track national titles.
I'm not going to get into the Doug Brown fiasco. Being a hard charging, brash northerner certainly sabotaged any chance he had to be successful at UF.
Congratulations to Mike again and congratulation should have been enough. Comparisons are always rife with problems.
I will PM you my phone numbers if you wish to discuss this further.
