As an athlete, Karen Harvey has excelled on the track and now as a coach, she is revealing another facet of her talents. While competing for the Michigan Wolverines, Harvey earned All-American honors… + See More +
As an athlete, Karen Harvey has excelled on the track and now as a coach, she is revealing another facet of her talents. While competing for the Michigan Wolverines, Harvey earned All-American honors… + See More
- See Less - As an athlete, Karen Harvey has excelled on the track and now as a coach, she is revealing another facet of her talents. While competing for the Michigan Wolverines, Harvey earned All-American honors three times: once in cross-country and twice in track.. Harvey's post-collegiate was very successful; she was ranked number one in the world in the steeplechase in 1998 and was a nine-time member of the Canadian national team. As a coach, Harvey's success has been unexpectedly quick. Since talking over the helm of the distance women at the University of Illinois in 2002, she has guided the cross team to three nationals appearances and two top ten finishes. On the track, the fighting Illini distance crew has made great strides since Harvey's arrival. During the 2006 outdoor finals, Harvey guided Cassi Hunt to her third All-American honors with a second place showing. In 2007 Karen took helm as the Florida State Women's XC coach and like in Champagne, she had an instant impact. In just her first year Karen took the Seminoles to a second place showing in XC and had two different ladies take national titles in track. Karen is married to former Michigan National Champion and current Canadian record holder, Kevin Sullivan.
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MikeyB November 17, 2008 at 7:22am
This video reveals a little more about her coaching style! Go Coach
Funny thing is...In my own personal life I hated the hard teachers in High School but now I reflex back and I relize that learn the most from them...not the those one's who were friendly. http://www.flotrack.org/videos/speaker/54/328-it-happened-fast
The thing that impresses me about Harv is her dedication to improving her self. At the same time I am always amazed with how much she still needs to learn as a person. The training is there and there is no argument against that. However, the personality leaves a lot to be desired. There is a disregard and a demeaning of people from her past. In my opinion it is a bit shameful. I think she will change and eventually find a place that will love the 'new' her. But the toes she will step on and the people she will hurt along the way makes the whole situation unfortunate.
I mean this to be constructive criticism. I am sure she views her self as a realist, but that is just a pessimists greatest disguise. One day I hope she can say that an athlete who chooses to go to another school wasn’t meant to be, without demeaning that athlete afterward. Unlike competition in life you can not always view others as the enemy. It simply takes away from the joys in your own life.
Don't all coaches mold athletes? isn't coaching and sport about dealing with insecurities and fears? If Harvey is such a horrible person, leader and coach the program would not be where it is. But how would you know, you are not with the team daily and I am sure you are just another bitter and jealous coach making assumptions. But thanks for the negative comments about her.
I would never send anyone to run for her. She is the Bobby Knight of women's cross country; preying on young girls insecurities to break them down and build them up the way she wants them. She does know her stuff about training, but she's way too intense about running and ruling peoples lives.
And, honestly, do you thnk Van Miert and Snow would be there without Braman? No. He's the one with the connections overseas and knowledge of the rules on how to get them eligible, not Harvey.
eating disorders and not being trained properly are two big issues, especially the former in terms of women's running. these issues are not addressed enough and everyone feels weird when they get brought up. its the real world, it happens....get over it. instead of being a pain in the ass about it, it would be great if more people worked towards bringing these issues to light and helped athletes become healthier
Read Between-the-lines October 21, 2008 at 12:51pm
Making derogatory remarks about a program one takes over regardless if you consider it putting down the program is something better left unsaid. Better to make your mark with actions not words. She coaches some very thin athletes. . .
The way she put down the program at Illinois before she took over; saying there were eating disorders and they trained like high schoolers is less than classy. . .
a little luck, a lot of foreign talent, and a lot of ego. nonetheless, she has clearly organized a women's team that did not receive much attention under braman. success breeds success. if she can build on what she has right now by establishing fsu as a legitimate destination for american talent then she deserves praise. all the same, a ringing endorsement for a degree from michigan- "i'd be working at a chicken farm." go blue
Say what you want about the team she inherited...that team still finished 20th the year before she showed up...3rd after she arrived. And her turnaround of the Illinois program was unprecedented. 9th in the Big 10 to 5th in the country in 4 years. Harvey can recruit and she can coach.
Of course she is lucky. Listen to what she says about what she walked into at Illinois and compare that to who she inherited at FLST. There isn't a single one of her own recruits in the top 6. Her only recruit in the top 7 is a high school All American that finished 120th at prenats.
If the mens coach doesn't continue to get foreigners for her they will suffer when the current crop go.
Karen is awesome. She may call herself lucky, but she has made great things happen for herself--and for the athletes who are lucky enough to be coached by her.
After watching, I watched the next six videos and was glued to every word with interest and amazement. Our sport has some of the best dam diamonds in the ruff. I am now a Coach Harvey fan and can't wait to until the next video comes out! I love to listen her....she is a wonderful speaker!
Good Luck Coach.....I am glad you no longer have to pluck the guts out of chickens! I laugh so hard when said that!
For some reason, good Illinois HS runners don't want to stay in Illinois. I don't get it. Illinois is a great school. With all the talent that Illinois suburbs have produced over the years, think how good U of Illinois could have been.
Great interview. She is the type of person who is basically right sized about her life, accomplishments, coaching job and blessings. Hope her team feels really blessed to be working with her. Thanks.
Canadian native and Michigan alum, Karen Harvey, is the queen of quick success. While only in her second year coaching at Illinois, Harvey took the Illini to their first NCAA Championship and by the fourth year they finished 8th in the country along with winning the regional crown. In her first year at FSU, the seminoles improved from 21st to 3rd at the NCAA meet! Harvey also coached Susan Kuijken to a 3rd place finish in 2007.
Karen Harvey, FSU
Funny thing is...In my own personal life I hated the hard teachers in High School but now I reflex back and I relize that learn the most from them...not the those one's who were friendly.
http://www.flotrack.org/videos/speaker/54/328-it-happened-fast
We can talk more at the Big 10 Reunion though. See you there.
"He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her." John 8:7
I mean this to be constructive criticism. I am sure she views her self as a realist, but that is just a pessimists greatest disguise. One day I hope she can say that an athlete who chooses to go to another school wasn’t meant to be, without demeaning that athlete afterward. Unlike competition in life you can not always view others as the enemy. It simply takes away from the joys in your own life.
And, honestly, do you thnk Van Miert and Snow would be there without Braman? No. He's the one with the connections overseas and knowledge of the rules on how to get them eligible, not Harvey.
I like it that this was not mentioned directly in the interview.
If the mens coach doesn't continue to get foreigners for her they will suffer when the current crop go.
Good Luck Coach.....I am glad you no longer have to pluck the guts out of chickens! I laugh so hard when said that!