Dave Smith's life has not gone as he originally planned. Smith had a successful career at Michigan State, where he was All-Big 10 four times and won the 1993 Big 10 10k. After his collegiate running days… + See More +
Dave Smith's life has not gone as he originally planned. Smith had a successful career at Michigan State, where he was All-Big 10 four times and won the 1993 Big 10 10k. After his collegiate running days… + See More
- See Less - Dave Smith's life has not gone as he originally planned. Smith had a successful career at Michigan State, where he was All-Big 10 four times and won the 1993 Big 10 10k. After his collegiate running days came to an end when he graduated from Michigan State in 1993 he decided to try for his masters and then PHD at The University of Washington. While at Washington he helped Coach Greg Metcalf with the mens and womens distance programs but had no real plans of becoming a head coach. In 1998 Smith was offered the head coaching job at Texas Tech, and he decided to try coaching for one year. Smith immediately fell in love with coaching and he has not looked back since. From 1998 to 2000 Smith was a busy man when he was not coaching at Texas Tech he was working on his PHD from Washington, and in 2000 all his hard work paid off when he earned his PHD in pharmacology. In 2002 Smith became an assistant coach at Oklahoma State and he has made an immediate impact. In 2005 just three years after Smith?s arrival the cowboys surprised the nation when they finished 8th at cross country nationals. Smith?s success did not go unnoticed, after the 2006 season Smith was named head men?s cross country coach. Smith?s first year as head cross coach he guided the Cowboys to their second straight top ten finish at NCAAs. Since 1998 Smith has coached two NCAA champs, 14 All-Americans and 12 big-12 champions.
#24
Alex October 24 at 2:21pm
The difficult part is that there are so many variables that recruiters don't have access to. Like mileage, how long someone has been running, there's a huge difference between a 9:30guy in his second season and one who has been running for 6 or 7 years, as well as how dedicated someone is to running which is just as important as talent. That's what makes it hard on the 920-930 guys. We have to convince a coach to take a chance on us now.
Great interview! This is fantastic stuff! keep it up
I really like everything flotrack has been doing lately! As a highschool senior with hopes of going into a D1 program it really helps to know whats ahead, and what coaches are looking for in athletes. I had no idea things such as the level of competition you race, and mileage could play into getting into a program and not. Keep it up FLOTRACK!
Kyle.D. Johnson said: “I was wondering hw there is a difference between a kd doing a 4:29 in LA n a kid in .... whatever Philly. I believe that the track does not lie. Cn somebody tell me differently?”
He said the difference between a kid in Idaho Falls and LA. You east coast people have no concept or regard for elevation differences sometimes
This has finally been said out loud from a DI coach. I've been screaming this kind of stuff for some time. There are no full scholarships any more. A lot of those 9 high guys need to look at DII schools, too. They can get some nice scholarship money there as well. I hope more HS athletes, their coaches and parents pay attention to this...because too many of them are delusional about DI one schools. The worst are young girls who run 19:59. They may be phenomenal athletes or diamonds in the rough, but RARELY get scholarship money of any kind at DI schools.
And like coach Warhurst said on his recruiting interview, a guy running a 4:15 mile off of 30 miles a week is probably a better guy to recruit than a kid who runs 4:15 off of 70 miles a week. Just another way the track can "lie"
Another comment for Kyle Johnson. I can give you an example from a guy I have ran with on multiple occasions. Mark Curp from Polo, Missouri a really small farm town. The guy runs 9:50 for his high school 3200 pr but is a state champion in Class 1 (smallest class in Missouri) he goes on to become a world record holder in the half marathon. Obviously he is now an ex AR and WR holder but still he held it at one point in time with what you must say is a rather average high school 3200 time.
That 4.46 kid was recruited by coach Weis. I know this because dave wasn't even at osu for the kid's freshman year of college. To some extent, coach Weis built the program/continued it's success, let's give credit where it's due.
Kyle.D. Johnson said: “I was wondering hw there is a difference between a kd doing a 4:29 in LA n a kid in .... whatever Philly. I believe that the track does not lie. Cn somebody tell me differently?”
If you are comparing LA to Philly probably not a whole lot of difference because the competition is fast all around. But say you compare LA to Small town Kansas or Oklahoma then there is a difference. The competition is better in LA so the times should be faster because you have the competition to push them Say there are 100 runners in LA that run 4:20 or faster, they will usually run faster times with people to push them. But say you are from Colby, Ks (Western Kansas) where you will be lucky to find probably more than 1 person who can even run a 4:30, that guy may be physically able to run a 4:15 but with out the competition to push him it is harder to run a faster time. It's all about the level of competition. Like Coach Smith said, if you are winning on your level than there usually is always room for improvement if the competition level is low. That is how track times can lie, it's all about the people that you run against.
I was wondering hw there is a difference between a kd doing a 4:29 in LA n a kid in .... whatever Philly. I believe that the track does not lie. Cn somebody tell me differently?
I don't know how good Coach Smith was in HS but looking back would he have recruited himself?
A PHD in pharmacology.Did not know what was so I looked it up. It is the study of drugs, of the body's reaction to drugs, the sources of drugs, their nature, and their properties. In contrast, pharmacy is a medical science concerned with the safe and effective use of medicines
My HS Freshman son ran a 4:40 and 10:10 and didn't even make it to the league championships. Guess times are just fast in Washington State. As a Sopre his SR for XC is 16:27 and dropping...
I wrote a lengthy comment on the Penn State “on recruiting” video. Many of the questions I put down in that comment made themselves into this video. I do not know if Ryan read them and asked different questions. Maybe Coach Smith read them and wanted Ryan to ask. Maybe it happened all by itself without my influence at all (most likely I hope)
Regardless of the origin of the Q&A;, this was some of the “meat” I was hoping to hear. I can walk away from this interview knowing that OK State:
* Does attract some of the best guys in the country
* Looks at race time, training level and competition when evaluating recruits
* Makes a good attempt at giving something to everyone on the roster
* Make s better attempt of providing more money to kids who have been on the team longer
* is a great program that can take a 4:46 kid and turn him into a 4:03 kid. (Amazing!) I know not every 4:46 kid has the DNA to do that, but I am just amazed at the result.
As a parent, and former D1 track / XC athlete, this goes a long way to providing me with some real expectations for my offspring (who happen to show some talent). Even though I went through the scholarship process 25 years ago, I expect it is a different world out there now.
Ryan – please continue with these types of questions. I really liked it.
It's no secret that Flotrack is the foremost in track in the US now...it's not a lie either that that is exactly why they did this video on recruiting. Every HS kid that pays attention to collegiate running right now knows these guys names and understands how recruiting works, they aren't ignorant. It's advertising at its best and I like it. Great job Dave...hopefully you reap the benefits of doing this video for Flotrack, maybe more coaches will follow suit and at least open up for more Workout Wednesdays.
We sit down with Dave Smith to talk about recruiting.....how it works, what do they look for in athletes, trying to get scholarships as high school runners, and more.
To find out more about Oklahoma State you can find contact info and check out their team at OkState.com. You can also fill out a questionnaire. October 7, 2009
Dave Smith on recruiting at Oklahoma State
Great interview! This is fantastic stuff! keep it up
By the way, thanks for the video, its the most informative!
“I was wondering hw there is a difference between a kd doing a 4:29 in LA n a kid in .... whatever Philly. I believe that the track does not lie. Cn somebody tell me differently?”
“Recruiting gets a whole lot easier when you don't have to share scholarships with a track team!”
“I was wondering hw there is a difference between a kd doing a 4:29 in LA n a kid in .... whatever Philly. I believe that the track does not lie. Cn somebody tell me differently?”
A PHD in pharmacology.Did not know what was so I looked it up. It is the study of drugs, of the body's reaction to drugs, the sources of drugs, their nature, and their properties. In contrast, pharmacy is a medical science concerned with the safe and effective use of medicines
Regardless of the origin of the Q&A;, this was some of the “meat” I was hoping to hear. I can walk away from this interview knowing that OK State:
* Does attract some of the best guys in the country
* Looks at race time, training level and competition when evaluating recruits
* Makes a good attempt at giving something to everyone on the roster
* Make s better attempt of providing more money to kids who have been on the team longer
* is a great program that can take a 4:46 kid and turn him into a 4:03 kid. (Amazing!) I know not every 4:46 kid has the DNA to do that, but I am just amazed at the result.
As a parent, and former D1 track / XC athlete, this goes a long way to providing me with some real expectations for my offspring (who happen to show some talent). Even though I went through the scholarship process 25 years ago, I expect it is a different world out there now.
Ryan – please continue with these types of questions. I really liked it.