Latest / The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast / #172: Sean Carlson-University of Tennessee

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#172: Sean Carlson-University of Tennessee · The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

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See what today's guest has in store for us.
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Welcome back to the guilt, latex connections podcast.
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I've got someone who everybody's been one to talk to and talk
0:46
about and everybody has been talking about, we're going to
0:49
clear, some are and figure some things out today.
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And I'm really excited because I'm not a distance guy, but I've
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got one of the Premier distance guys with me today.
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Help me welcome from the University of Tennessee, the my
1:00
get it all. Jumbled up here, Sean, the
1:02
director of cross-country head, coach of distance.
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I'm just going to call them the distance Guru.
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The volunteer distance grew without that'll confuse
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everybody bike. That help me.
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Welcome the wise, the wonderful mr.
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Shawn carlstedt. Sean.
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How are you sir doing? Well.
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Thanks for having me. Hey, absolutely man.
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We've been, we've been talking about this for a while.
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Now, ever since the new, by the way.
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Congratulations, the new job title here at down in Knoxville.
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I'm excited. Because first of all, I'm
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excited for anybody who's had success and done some amazing
1:31
things in this profession, but I'm also excited that you guys
1:34
are maybe doing some things differently there at the
1:37
University of Tennessee. And you're also with one of my
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very Very good friends. Dwayne Ross is a just hold him
1:45
very dearly and esteemed in my life to be real Frank with you
1:49
and he's a podcast Alum. So now you guys can have you
1:52
have something in common? So Sean let's start with.
1:57
We're going to start with you at some point.
2:00
I'm assuming you were an athlete.
2:01
I'm assuming you were a distance Runner.
2:03
That's probably safe assumption, but at some point coaching
2:07
switched from something that was done to you a coach.
2:10
Would write your workouts. Tell you what your long runs are
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going to be etcetera. And some at some point it had to
2:15
flip in your head that oh, wait a minute.
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This is actually something that I can do that.
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I can become a coach one day. Where does coaching begin for
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you? Yeah.
2:26
So I ran in North Central College in Naperville Illinois.
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Is they're not right now? Al carius the greatest to ever
2:36
do it. I was fortunate to kind of learn
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from him. A lot of philosophies on, you
2:42
know, life training, how to treat people, you know, all
2:47
those things and you coaching it always been something that the
2:53
back of my mind, you know, and as an athlete, you think it's,
2:56
you know, just show up to practice obviously.
2:59
And then you realize it's a lot more but yeah, you know, right
3:05
after college, I I went and worked for a very short bit
3:13
decided. I was just didn't want to do the
3:16
925 cookie cutter life and I need up and decided to get my
3:24
masters at Northcentral while coaching at Saint, Charles North
3:27
High School so I could just distance runners or St.
3:30
Charles North had a lot of fun with it.
3:36
And then figured while I want like to do this at the college
3:39
level kind of had L as a mentor obviously and you know his
3:45
suggestion was just doing it the best biggest and best level that
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you can first as a volunteer and, you know, just seeing where
3:51
it goes. So Joe piane, fortunately took
3:56
me under his wing as a volunteer at University of Notre Dame.
4:02
And probably for my first three months.
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I was just like and show up at. I think like he would get in.
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And I like 8:00 in the morning. Joe.
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And so, I get in try and get any like 7:30.
4:15
And then we had an associate head coach Alan Turner at the
4:18
time. And Alan would getting a little
4:20
bit later in the day, but stay till like 11 p.m. and so I just
4:24
work there hours. So 7:30 11 and, you know, did
4:29
whatever they needed me to do. And Three months into that one
4:34
of the assistants at Notre Dame had left and they kind of said,
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well you're sitting there, you seem to be an office all the
4:43
time, you know we're not going to hire you at the end of this
4:47
year, but we'll give you this year kind of.
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And so I just worked like crazy because I thought I was going to
4:53
get fired at the end of the year.
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No benefits. And I think it was like Twelve
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thousand dollars or something like that.
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So, that was my first year of Collegiate coaching and then
5:05
will partially, they become a nun.
5:07
Lot. Yeah, right.
5:08
Pause there. Because what I want to go back
5:10
to real quick, is you went into college to study something?
5:15
You thought you were going to be something a doctor, a lawyer, a
5:17
business owner, and maybe you did some of that.
5:20
You said you met. She had kind of a private sector
5:22
job. What were, what were you
5:23
actually thinking you were going to do?
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Yeah. I majored in business and
5:27
finance. I wanted to own my own business
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that was kind of my idea and I want to make enough money to do
5:36
that and then retire early and then Coach that was kind of my
5:39
plan because I will, I don't want to be, you know, climbing
5:45
the wrong when I'm 45 or 55 years old.
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So I just decided to kind of send it and do what I love now.
5:55
Yeah, all of college. I worked in grocery stores.
5:58
Right. After college, I had a A job in
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management at a grocery store that still my first job.
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I think well now that I've got a new job but it paid more than I
6:10
ever made it the University of Notre Dame in the lavender.
6:13
So no I gave up a lot I love to mythbust so we're going to
6:18
explore that as well because we think first of all Division 1
6:21
just in general power 5 secondary and then Notre Dame.
6:24
We think if you've made it there you're right you're raking in
6:27
the big bucks. I loved we're going to we're
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going to talk about that a little bit more.
6:30
Um, before we get there though, you you mentioned something
6:33
that's really, it's really special and that's running for
6:37
North Central. You know, the coaching tree I
6:41
get that. I bet Al carius carries laughed
6:43
when you came in as a freshman. You're like, yeah, I'm going to
6:45
be a business guy when I'm own business and he's like,
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whatever, man, you're going to be a coach.
6:48
Do you know where you're at? You're at North Central.
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This is what we do. We produce coaches, man?
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As you look back now, because now you have something that you
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didn't have, then you have perspective, right?
6:58
We can we can look at the experiences that you had.
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Add, what was it like, I mean, north-central produces, not only
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first of all, amazing teams and Runners, and individuals, Etc.
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But tons and tons of coaches. I mean, it, I could do a show
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and I'd have 100 guests of just north-central Lumps, who are in
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the college ranks are. I'm not College.
7:17
I'm sorry. High school and college of track
7:19
and field ranks, what is it? What was it about north-central
7:23
that you know as you look back now that kind of helped you know
7:27
at least stoke the passion that. Yeah.
7:28
You know what? I am going to be a coach now not
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40 years from now, yeah. I think a lot of our guys end up
7:36
going into coaching, and I think it's says a lot about Alan
7:40
Grammy, you know, their experience at North Central and
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how they were treated. and just the impact that Alan Grammy had
7:50
on our lives, through college, you meant a lot to us and it
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triggered something that we wanted to give that back to
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other people, you know, I think it's just when you give and when
8:11
you Or helping others, I think has a lot more meaning in your
8:18
life, and a lot more fulfillment and Alan Grammy were best
8:24
example of that, you know. I mean those guys were, like,
8:27
father's to a lot of us. Yeah, we were just incredibly
8:33
fortunate to end up at this small little school in
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Naperville Illinois, and have you know, who I think it is.
8:41
The greatest of all time. You know, I'll carry us.
8:44
He no don't say. Yeah.
8:49
And you're right, is greater coach as we all know, Al carius
8:52
the interestingly. Less people know about Grammy,
8:56
but as fantastic of a coach, both of those gentlemen, I've
8:59
had the pleasure of working with him and get the gnome through
9:02
coaching. And even through my time here,
9:04
Gil, better people great, great coaches, better people.
9:09
And that's when I asked guys like You know cream of Jackson
9:15
up at Wisconsin Wendell mcraven I can't even name more there's a
9:19
hundred more coaches, I'm missing out there, it's always
9:22
like oh yeah they just gave gave of themselves to us and that
9:25
helped us style. Are you are coaching and stoked,
9:28
our passion for it now. Interestingly, we're talking
9:32
about a small beautiful. By the way, if you've never seen
9:36
north central campus, it's gorgeous.
9:39
It really isn't beautiful Naperville.
9:41
He is, you said, Is a vice to you.
9:43
When you said, Okay, I I want to go, I don't want to do this
9:46
business thing right now. I want to coach.
9:48
He said go as big as you can. I thought that would have been
9:52
the opposite of what I would have thought, you know, small
9:55
school coach would have said. Yeah.
9:57
Well, you know because I knew I was probably going to have to
10:00
volunteer to get into the profession.
10:03
And it's just easier to start kind of as a volunteer at that
10:08
level. Because then after that, you can
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kind of, maybe have a little bit more options, right?
10:12
If I volunteered at the D3 level, you know, I would pretty
10:16
much the limit myself to D3 this way.
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I had, you know, all the division and just to see, you
10:23
know, I mean to be frank, I already saw the best division 3
10:26
program in the country. You know, I don't didn't really
10:30
make sense to go volunteer at another D3 School.
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Because, you know, North Central was doing it as well as you
10:39
could. And so I think that's kind of
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his, it was his thought process, I will go do it at another level
10:46
and see kind of what the differences are.
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And, you know, then you can kind of decide which will luckily you
10:52
want to be. Yeah, you know what?
10:54
Excites you and maybe there's some things that they're doing
10:57
that we need to pick up because, you know, Al is always trying to
11:00
grow and learn and he's picking people's brains all the time and
11:04
so, you know, he was even kind of curious as I think there are
11:09
two. So yeah, it just, it just makes
11:11
sense. You know, Jo kuch piane was a,
11:15
you know, a great mentor also and taught me a lot and had run
11:19
a really successful program and so, you know, yeah, I've just
11:23
been incredibly fortunate to have some some pretty
11:28
influential and very successful people in my life that I really
11:34
Really early age, help, you know, shape my philosophies on,
11:39
I'm coaching and treating people, right?
11:42
And those kind of things. Yeah, I was going to mention
11:44
that you go. It's, you know, some of us are
11:46
only lucky enough maybe to have a legend in their life once you
11:50
go from maybe a couple of Legends Grammy and curious to
11:54
Joe piane, who oh my goodness, another just All-Star.
11:57
When I coached at Ball State he was one of the first people that
11:59
kind of welcome you in the midwest.
12:01
I mean, just just an amazing human.
12:02
Being so I love that. You set your sights high like,
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okay. Let's go find.
12:07
You know, what's one of the biggest programs?
12:09
I can find any of you hit. Maybe the number one, you go to
12:12
Notre freaking Dame here. Now what was it like, was there
12:16
any? I'm going to call it imposter
12:19
syndrome. Do you know?
12:20
Do you know what imposter syndrome is?
12:21
Have you heard that term? Yeah, so you were at I'm going
12:25
to give all the prejudices of D3 your D3.
12:29
Non-scholarship, little Naperville and now you go to the
12:34
big time. Notre Dame.
12:35
ACC national championships is the goal every year for cross
12:40
and distance and track their at Notre Dame.
12:44
How did you how did you acclimate yourself?
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I know you said your volunteers. I understand there's some
12:49
different places there. You not maybe writing workouts
12:51
and stuff like that but you're still having to uphold that
12:55
Indie on your chest. And what piane and the other
12:57
coaches are doing, how did you go from quote-unquote Little D3
13:01
to the big stage right off the bat, how did you handle that?
13:06
yeah, I mean I just think that People that work hard or
13:11
invaluable like the reality is if Joe wanted it is on a work
13:17
out he wasn't going to be asking is volunteer and I knew that
13:21
like kill call someone that was relevant and so I knew I just
13:27
knew my role and my role was to do whatever needed to be done.
13:31
You know, and I would clean toilets if I had to, you know, I
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think that's The basis of anybody that's trying to get
13:40
into the profession in. Volunteer is like, listen,
13:42
you're volunteering to learn how to do the job and you're trying
13:47
to if they're going to spend the time teaching you that job you
13:50
should make it worth their time, by doing whatever and everything
13:53
that you have to do to make their job easier.
13:56
That's just kind of how I thought of it is Whatever it
14:00
takes was what I was willing to do.
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And yeah I mean I think you got to recognize that most people
14:09
are volunteering or you know, pretty you know, fresh out of
14:13
college. And so you're giving up your
14:18
twenties, you know, like I mean I lived in South.
14:21
Bend Indiana from 23 to 34. I love you been to South Bend
14:28
Indiana like Not a place for young professionals and so I
14:33
live in Champaign man. So I know I know South Bend.
14:35
Yeah. Yeah.
14:36
So you know I just immerse myself in the job and yeah,
14:40
doing everything I could to in my way make the program better,
14:46
you know, whatever my role was in that and it evolved you know
14:51
over to 11 years that I was there.
14:53
So I hear you did one layer deeper.
14:57
There's someone out there right now who Is either starting their
15:00
volunteer position at XYZ University or wants to get into
15:05
coaching. You now looking back on that
15:08
experience, what's the one piece of advice you would give them
15:11
once they're there? Is it to soak up everything?
15:15
Training-wise, the coach says, is it to learn the other side
15:18
that we for, you know, as athletes.
15:20
We don't think about, when we think about, on the track, we
15:22
don't see all the other stuff that we have to do is coaches.
15:25
What's, what's one piece of advice?
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I came in. You want to make this worth your
15:28
while make sure. Do this?
15:32
Yeah there's obviously I said I was madder.
15:36
Think learning how to run a successful culture.
15:40
Is important. But then I also think, you know,
15:42
you're going to see things that maybe you don't agree with right
15:46
and that's good. That's not a bad thing, right?
15:49
Like I think it makes you think about what you want to do when
15:55
you're in that role for good and bad and you every bad
16:01
experience, I think still has some benefit towards what you're
16:05
going to do in the future. And so I think taking in, you
16:10
know, all aspects, whether you like them or not, is it really
16:12
important part of it and then you know, realizing it's really
16:19
no job, that's above you are, you know, below like, you just
16:23
do whatever it takes in whatever role you're in time, even in the
16:27
role I'm in now, like I'll do whatever I have to do, you know,
16:31
like last week, I was cleaning our golf cart.
16:35
I washed our golf cart by hand. Why?
16:41
Because it makes an impact on the program because recruits are
16:43
going to see that golf cart because it represents the
16:46
University of Tennessee and it need to be clean that day.
16:50
I'm going to do that. Like, whatever it takes to be
16:52
good, is what we will do. And I just think that when
16:59
people have that approach to how they go about their job and
17:06
Yeah. You're going to probably be a
17:09
little bit more successful. Yeah, I love that example of the
17:11
golf cart. You know, one of the things that
17:14
blew me away on one of my visits to Oregon Robert Johnson.
17:18
Now former head coach, you know, organ has quote unquote
17:22
everything right? I mean they can 100 volunteers,
17:25
100, director of Ops whatever. And and I went out for jumps
17:29
practice and he was out there turning his own pits and I told
17:32
him as like Robert, I go no one in America will believe me that
17:35
you are. Actually the one who, you know,
17:37
everybody thinks you got guys. The golden shovels out here.
17:41
So 2 here. So I was going to be a joke.
17:43
When you said your clean, the golf cart is like, hey, let's
17:45
get your new director of Ops on the line here.
17:47
What's going on here? What why are they doing?
17:49
Well, it's a great example of servitude of, you know, your
17:53
quote, there are no jobs below you, all right.
17:56
IMA reminds me of the the famous one.
17:58
You know, my parents, my dad, my parents taught me to treat the
18:01
janitor the same as I would treat the CEO.
18:03
Well, that's, that's only at the CEOs willing to do the things
18:06
that the janitor would do in my opinion.
18:08
You know, so I love that example.
18:10
Where does that come from? Where your parents, you know, I
18:14
think of service type jobs where your parents teachers, business
18:18
owners that had to be learned by you somewhere.
18:25
Yeah. You're my parents were divorced,
18:29
very early in life. They were collar jobs.
18:34
I lived with my grandparents for most of growing up.
18:39
So now I just learned that you've got to do what you got to
18:44
do to survive pretty early on. And there was nothing that was
18:51
off-limits to survive sometimes. So yeah and I'm just taking that
18:56
place because The end of the day, the reality, in my lab if
19:01
there's no safety net for me. If I fail at my job, I don't
19:05
have A mansion to go back to or trust fund or a dollar for that
19:13
matter. Like I've got to make sure that
19:16
I'm successful and so, you know, I just knew there was no safety
19:21
net. That is that what drives you we
19:24
all have different motivations? Is that that almost sounds like
19:28
this is gonna sound the wrong way, Sean, it so stay with me
19:31
here that almost sounds like a feeling not a fear of failure,
19:35
that's going to see a figure. But you have this Like hey man.
19:38
There's that you kept saying it. There's no safety net.
19:40
Yeah, some people say you know fear is a bad thing.
19:44
There's a good motivator to like listen.
19:48
I really enjoy what I do, I love what I do but don't think for a
19:52
second that every day, I don't have a little bit of a fear
19:55
because that is the truth. Seeker of not giving my all to
20:04
The university to myself to the kids that come to run for me.
20:10
Right? Like, there's a lot of trust and
20:16
expectation that I have to fulfill the so you feel in your
20:22
role and the roles that you've had like, you know, you have to
20:26
be successful, but it didn't sound like you had to be
20:28
successful for you and your ego. You mentioned your staff, the
20:32
team, the school like, it sounds like it's like your motivation
20:37
is actually little bit bigger than just inside your skin.
20:39
Yeah, for sure. I mean, you know, I can find a
20:43
way to survive and whatever job right like but but I'd rather Do
20:50
it for a reason for a purpose for something bigger than
20:53
myself. And and, and that's kind of
20:56
approach. I've always taken obviously, why
20:58
it was very difficult to leave Notre Dame when I love in her
21:02
name because I spent my last 11 years, giving you 100 hour
21:09
weeks, every ounce of my energy toward making a program better.
21:13
And now I've got a, you know, I'm going to give that to
21:16
Tennessee. So let's talk about Notre Dame
21:19
because you Spent 11 years. They are not only, did you
21:22
spend, eleven there's year. It's almost like a it's almost
21:26
like growing up, right? You go in as a baby volunteer if
21:30
you leave as I believe or you the head women's cross country
21:33
coach had men's cross country and track and field coach I got
21:38
you. So I mean you know you you did
21:39
you live the dream in the sense of like what a lot of people
21:43
would hope to be, you know, they'd love to go in as an
21:45
assistant and be a head. One day you went in as a
21:47
volunteer and left as a head coach talked about Your growth
21:51
in Notre Dame because you did have some amazing mentors, Matt
21:55
and Joe and other people other assistance, Wayne Pates and
21:58
stuff that came in some amazing men and women that have coached
22:01
there. How did you see yourself
22:03
transform as a coach? And really, as a person because
22:08
your coaches your title? Sean is the person.
22:10
How did you your transition, how do you transform during that 11
22:14
years? Yeah, I mean, my roles changed a
22:17
lot over time and we started basically just recruiting Being
22:20
that I got you, men's middle distance and I got women's
22:23
middle distance and then you know six years ago, I got all
22:28
the men's distance I'd and there was a little bit more
22:33
responsibility and pressure on that and when I got the men, we
22:38
were 14th in the region and 10th in the conference.
22:40
So we weren't very good for place that you know, expected a
22:44
little bit better. Not you know, we kind of turn
22:47
that corner and You won three out of four Conference titles in
22:52
per second at Nationals, in cross country.
22:54
But I think the biggest thing that I grew in is Probably just
23:01
maybe how I went about things. I'm a very Mission oriented
23:07
person and so I want to go from point A to point B in the
23:11
fastest route and the reality is sometimes you got to take some
23:15
detours and stop it, a couple points and say hi and smile and
23:21
sort of sprinkles and you know so I think I learned while I'm
23:26
still learning how to do those better.
23:31
For very Mission driven person. It's It's not maybe just doesn't
23:43
come naturally and then so I had to have to work on that and I
23:47
still do still, I'm trying to but yeah I think that's probably
23:53
the biggest thing that I think I took you know that X is a nose
23:57
and overall philosophy of How to Train That's all from North
24:01
Central you know? But you know how to grow up and
24:08
be professionals is a lot of that was learned their caring
24:13
about kids and you know realizing that everybody matters
24:18
in different ways realizing you know when I first got to Notre
24:22
Dame I thought these kids where they're coming from and where I
24:27
came from a very different and, you know, I don't know how much
24:31
impact or help I can have on that.
24:34
Really quickly. I learned that like, They're
24:38
different problems with their still problems and they still
24:40
have the exact same emotional reaction.
24:43
Kids still have the exact same emotional reaction to the part
24:45
of thing they've done in their life.
24:47
And a lot of times, the hardest things you've done in your life,
24:50
start in college. And so You know, whether it's
24:55
they lost, you know, parent or something really significant,
25:00
which we had a couple things, obviously, that's very difficult
25:04
for those kids, but it doesn't downplay.
25:08
Other issues that kids had, you know, whether that be mental
25:13
health, or, or things like that. And and our job is to be there
25:18
for those kids and help walk them through that process.
25:21
And, you know, just let them They got someone in their barns,
25:25
got their back and maybe it's had some experience and some of
25:28
those things as well. Yeah yeah.
25:33
When you're when you're 18 to 22 years old and your Echo chamber
25:37
is 18 to 22 year olds, you know. And that's where you're getting
25:40
all your advice, it can be dangerous.
25:42
So having someone that seen it before, whether it's another
25:47
athlete or life, experience or whatever, you know, the coach
25:53
gives maybe a little bit, More tries to take a step back and
25:56
give a bit more rational thought through perspective.
26:02
Their kids, I mean, I think everybody thinks the coaches the
26:05
next two knows, but you know, coaching is like, Slight right?
26:11
It's the things the values and characteristics that you develop
26:15
and reinforce in the four or five years you're in school or
26:18
probably those same exact values and characteristics you're going
26:21
to continue to have over the next 40 years, your life and our
26:25
job is to help reinforce and support the right things you can
26:29
help them with the X's and O's obviously the training component
26:32
you can help them get in their dorm rooms and teachers, you
26:35
know, classes. But the one thing you can't
26:37
force into them is That's something they have to live and
26:40
experience on your own but luckily they have coaches such
26:44
as yourself to help guide be that Mentor that the outside of
26:47
the you know what's the repeats today?
26:49
And what's the long run today, the outside stuff which might be
26:53
not my beat definitely has to be the majority of what coaching
26:57
really is. Yeah.
27:00
Yeah. I mean I think if you're in it
27:02
for those reasons, you're probably going to have a pretty
27:07
good base line of success, right?
27:11
X's and O's matter to, but I think that gives you a really
27:14
good starting point because if you have that it's really easy
27:17
to learn X's and O's if you don't have that part and you
27:24
have great access to knows, I mean no one's going to buy into
27:28
what you have. Say, if they think that you care
27:30
about them or as an athlete and as a person.
27:32
Yeah, that's interesting. That's that's a real good.
27:34
That would be the quote of the whole interview right there,
27:36
man, if you don't have that the exynos you could be perfect on
27:40
that, it ain't going to happen. Yeah.
27:41
That's, that's, that's really hit rewind on that if you're
27:44
listening, that, that was really enlightening right there.
27:48
So, you know, I told you, I like to, I'm a mythbuster, I like the
27:50
bust myths, right. So I want you to talk about two
27:54
things at Notre. Dame before we switch over to
27:56
the the orange here. One is used Said, I think you
27:59
said you made twelve thousand dollars your first year, your
28:03
first non volunteer position. It's Notre.
28:05
Dame man. Was it like a hundred thousand
28:07
dollars to go to school? There we would all would have
28:10
thought you you know you're making all the big bucks from
28:12
the get, we thought the volunteer was making 50 Grand,
28:14
to be honest with you somehow Notre Dame, talk to us about,
28:18
you know, someone who's getting into coaching and I think it's
28:21
okay to get into coaching for money and I'll put that with an
28:24
asterisk before. Anybody says, what are you
28:25
talking about? Meaning, I think you should make
28:28
money as a coach. Of a family, a life Etc.
28:31
You should be able to take care of yourself.
28:33
How does something 100%? Absolutely.
28:35
Like, I actually don't like the grind.
28:38
The example, you gave a volunteering and then 12 Grand
28:40
and then hopefully, more and more because I'm like, no man,
28:42
you have value as a person. I want you to get paid right off
28:45
the bat and I know you would have gotten paid off the bat
28:46
that was available. I get that but talk about how
28:50
did you, you know, you got Notre Dame on your resume, you get
28:53
North Central on your resume, you're making 12 G, maybe 20
28:56
grams the next. I don't know.
28:58
You had to have other /. Yeah, you had to.
29:00
I won't get your IRA. I don't get your tax returns,
29:02
Mass all good, but you had to have other opportunities that
29:05
may be paid a little bit more. How did you, how did you set
29:09
your expectations and have the patience to know that it was
29:13
going to pay off with a better? You know, more deserving salary
29:17
eventually how did you have that patience to not jump at the
29:19
first, you know, I'll throw my alma mater.
29:22
Going to Troy University and making.
29:24
I don't know, we probably pay 35 40.
29:25
Grab no idea what we pay, but less than probably making.
29:29
More than 12 Grand. How did you have that patience
29:31
to stay like? Hey, this is my rock.
29:32
This is this is going to be the right thing.
29:35
Yeah, I can't say it. The time's right now.
29:42
Just think I think you should take the job over the money for
29:46
as long as you can and you're probably going to end up in a
29:48
pretty good spot. The longer you can probably do
29:52
that, probably the better position you're going to be.
29:56
I mean. Yeah, obviously, when I say take
30:02
the job over the money, I think that the first to a lot of
30:05
things, like a job that you think you can learn out and go
30:08
out and really set yourself up to be successful when you can
30:12
take over your own program. Like that matter first, I'm not
30:17
going to beat around the bush but you know, the name of the
30:21
school is relevant. Just is and that certainly
30:26
helped too. but yeah, you know, I just valued my long-term
30:35
future over. Overpay for a long time.
30:40
For a really long time. I mean, I think most people
30:42
would be surprised what I made at Notre Dame throughout my
30:45
career. Yeah, and I think, yeah, you've
30:50
got to prioritize just like everything else in life, like a
30:56
penis and what you feel like you can learn other.
30:59
There's there's buckets, you know, there's categories in a
31:02
job, right? I'll work fulfillment,
31:05
happiness, salary. All these things.
31:07
And let's say there's 10 categories, you don't get 100
31:10
points, you know, you get, you know, 50, 60, 70 points, and you
31:15
got to kind of prioritize, which ones. again, What mattered to me
31:19
was putting myself in a position to Be the best coach I could by
31:26
being around people that supported me and helped me along
31:29
and helped me learn. And then Bye-bye.
31:34
Being at a place that could give me a chance to win a National
31:40
Title. And, you know, we scored 85
31:46
points at the national meeting had five all Americans and
31:47
didn't win. We were s.
31:48
So sometimes it didn't work out. That's just so sick.
31:54
It really, really is six all Americans, but five in the top
31:56
25 you lived it. So it's more sick for you, my
31:59
friend, okay. Mythbust number two and then
32:01
we're going to turn to the to the Big Orange You're not you're
32:05
at Notre Dame it's easy to recruit their right let me come
32:08
on you got to just go to the top ten kids and they each category,
32:11
the 4:45 K and 10 K and just you just got to pluck them and bring
32:15
them, bring them to South Bend Indiana by, then it did become
32:21
easy. I'll say that.
32:22
Okay, we started as 10 in the ACC and 14th in the region. 920
32:30
kids wouldn't take my call, I'm not kidding.
32:34
You know, like there is nine twenty kids that just didn't
32:37
weren't interested and also the average ACT at Notre Dame is a
32:40
thirty four, fifty percent of people denied emissions is about
32:42
our valedictorian the graduating class.
32:44
So there are 34 recruiting people gets very small, very
32:48
quickly. What's the highest 3636?
32:51
Yeah. So you're the average ACT of the
32:54
University average, right? Yeah, Athletics obviously, Gil
32:59
Ali. Wait.
33:00
But it's not like we were the football team, you know, you can
33:02
miracles happen either. So so it was it was a, you know,
33:08
it had a lot of parameters. We had a very small recruiting
33:11
that and you kind of had a really hit it.
33:14
You know, it's not like there was a huge pool of kids and that
33:19
now, when we took second at Nationals and cross-country with
33:22
seven guys within 500 miles of campus, and I think what that
33:27
really shows is we had To develop kids the national meet
33:33
Outdoors last year we had 29 18, guys.
33:37
At the outdoor national meet 99 high school and good.
33:41
Okay. I don't, I don't know the exact
33:44
staff, but I'm pretty sure. There's a probably to the
33:46
slowest High School PR's at that outdoor national me.
33:50
So it just shows that like yes, we did get some really, really
33:54
talented and Footlocker national champions, but at a place like
33:57
Notre Dame, it's difficult to have that kind of depth because
34:01
of academic standards and so you had to develop kids.
34:04
Now, the last year I was there, we sign Or seven guys under nine
34:08
minutes, 42 miles, which has to be the number one recruiting
34:10
class in the country, right? That was a little bit easier
34:13
because we established ourselves into being one of the better
34:17
distance programs, the country. So that's your present Notre
34:21
Dame as I leave, you know, probably the number one
34:23
recruiting class in the country but it was a long haul to get us
34:30
to that point where we had access to those kids and where
34:32
we could recruit those kids or those kids would even have a
34:35
conversation with us, you know? Yeah.
34:38
I mean, some of those kids were looking at Notre Dame in
34:40
Oklahoma, State as their final to write like that doesn't make
34:44
sense. All right, it means they care
34:46
about running right obviously they chose Notre Dame for
34:50
academic still too but when those are your two places you
34:53
know like Dave Smith has done a fantastic job at Oklahoma State
34:56
making it a premier running program and it just shows that,
34:59
you know, the kids that were looking for some of the best
35:04
distance runners in the country and prioritize run.
35:06
Yeah. It's It's quite common.
35:07
We forget that we're looking from the outside and so we see a
35:10
Notre Dame or any other school. You name it and think.
35:14
Oh, they've got it so easy. I remember when I was going from
35:17
high school and I wanted to go to college coaching and I was
35:20
like, man, college is so much better.
35:21
I get to pick who I want to work with or, you know, in high
35:23
school it's just whoever shows up that myth got busted like the
35:27
first day. I met my first college job and
35:29
then when I went to the SEC, I was like, oh man, it's going to
35:33
be so much easier now, Mississippi State SEC, Gonna
35:37
know who I am and who we are. Everybody wants to be in
35:39
Starkville Mississippi, right? First of all you start Vegas,
35:41
that's right, exactly right. My first recruit, I called, LZ
35:45
Coleman set the indoor 400 High School National Record.
35:48
We spoiler. We signed them by the way, baby.
35:51
But my first phone call, I call them up.
35:53
And I was like, salesy is like, you know, so like who else you
35:55
looking at? He's like, oh yeah, you know, it
35:57
was USC. Baylor, Florida.
36:00
I can't, I think was TCU the time and I was like, ah, crap.
36:03
This didn't get easier. I got to recruit against Mouse.
36:05
I got to recruit against la. Ha I was like man this didn't
36:08
get easier, it might have gotten harder so the kids that you
36:12
recruiting those sub nine kids, it ain't like they only had one
36:15
choice. Like you're saying Oklahoma
36:16
State and you probably up against some of the other you
36:18
know top five a month. They're choosing a they've got a
36:23
lot of different color Ferraris that they could achieve not
36:26
selling a far against the Kia Orana farting and so far, he's
36:29
it so yeah. They know the inverter Notre
36:32
Dame they were looking at all those places.
36:35
I think it best that started. When I was there was a Nissan
36:38
Altima at best. At best is what I was trying to
36:40
sell. All right well let's talk about
36:43
selling something really, really good.
36:45
I've been a fan of University of Tennessee for quite a while.
36:48
How did this opportunity come up and there's some uniqueness is
36:50
here to explore because you're going to explain it to us.
36:54
But Dwayne Ross is the head track coach and Dwayne Ross.
36:57
He's in a podcast Alum, you got to go back and listen to his
37:00
podcast. Just one of the most amazing men
37:02
in this world. Like I consider my dear dear
37:04
friend and so that was announced like Like one day and then like
37:08
an hour later, the distance coach was announced, but it
37:11
wasn't announced as here's the assistant track /head.
37:14
Cross Country Coach, it was here is the director of
37:16
cross-country, the head coach of distance, Sean, Carlson.
37:20
So Sean talked to us. First of all, had this
37:22
opportunity come up, why was it attracted to you and what are
37:25
you guys doing there and Knoxville?
37:27
Yes, certainly unique setup that doesn't really exist in
37:32
unsuitable. A currently, you know, started
37:35
with Danny White are out Ha ha, who kind of had a unique vision
37:39
for track and cross-country? Thank you.
37:42
See a lot of distance oriented programs and a lot of track,
37:44
Focus programs. And you don't see a lot that
37:46
kind of do both really. Well, and Tennessee has a rich
37:50
tradition of distance running. We want, 1972, Cross Country
37:53
Nationals here. We've had, I mean, so just
37:57
really could distance Runners over time.
38:00
And and obviously, we've had a really good track team and we
38:03
want to combine those two without sacrificing, one or the
38:06
other. I think we have a really model
38:08
but I think works really well for both being Dwayne and that
38:13
me and Wayne care about coaching, right?
38:15
And She doesn't want to deal with distance Runners.
38:20
I don't want to deal with sprinters because I don't know
38:22
what I'm doing there and let's take our time and energy and
38:27
focus it into coaching as much as we can, which is why we've
38:30
hired such big support Styles. Help us do what we're supposed
38:34
to do and that's coach and, you know, we have you already kind
38:41
of coordinated. Our budgets are scholarships for
38:44
across country and for track. And we can kind of Do our things
38:50
stay in our line and then a conference regionals Nationals
38:54
show up together and being absolute power.
38:56
And I mean that's, you know, I'm not going to pretend to know
39:00
what Sprint meets to go to and Dwayne's.
39:02
Not going to pretend to know what distance me to go to and I
39:05
think we both just are confident and secure enough in our cells
39:10
and how we do things that we trust the other two to do it,
39:15
you know, do their expertise really, really well.
39:19
You know, obviously I met with the athletic director.
39:22
Danny why, you know, initially in this whole process and kind
39:27
of Pictured, my vision also of this and then then you know, me
39:34
and Wayne mat and just seemed seamless that seemed really
39:38
easy. I think a lot of people have
39:40
egos in this profession and feel like they've got to be in charge
39:44
of every little thing and like you know, both of us just want
39:47
to be good and we just want to win and we both know kind of
39:53
what we need to do in our worlds and we can kind of combine that
39:57
into one week it on Track and so it's I think it's a really easy
40:02
model when you have the parameters around it from a
40:05
scholarship, standpoint, from a budgetary standpoint from a
40:07
staff standpoint, all about think we already had all that
40:10
laid out initially. So that way it was easy.
40:15
There was no, you know, hidden doors.
40:18
It was just, this is what we're going to do.
40:21
You know, are you on board? Let's do this kind of thing.
40:24
So, you know, Duane's got for track coaches know.
40:28
Wayne assistance, print coach throws coach the jumps coach and
40:34
then a recruiting coordinator, or director of Ops on the track
40:36
side of stuff. And then on the distant side
40:39
here, we got myself, and Nick, as my assistant, professor
40:44
country and distance, and then we've got recruiting coordinator
40:48
is dukkha director of Ops Mackenzie, Landa for
40:52
cross-country. And so, you know, we can just
40:55
kind of do what we've both got to do.
40:59
Programs. And then we kind of collectively
41:01
come together when it matters, more trying to win
41:03
championships, you know, I give Tennessee a lot of props.
41:07
We just had this conversation with a past guest here recently
41:11
about track coaches and the proverbial many hats that you
41:14
have to wear and how sometimes it's not fair and I know life's
41:18
not fair but not that. I expect the track coach to only
41:21
be on the track to coach. There are some other things and
41:23
responsibilities that. Yeah.
41:25
When I was at Notre Dame I did recruiting.
41:27
I did write everything. Yeah, until my last year and
41:30
Notre Dame. I didn't have any assistant.
41:33
It was is me recording doing it all and coaching 30 guys.
41:38
Right? It's a lot.
41:40
Yeah. And during covid, I had a
41:42
cross-country team getting ready, team, getting ready for
41:45
indoor conference, I think because they didn't have
41:48
eligible in you indoors or cross-country for outdoors, you
41:50
know. It's overwhelming and I think
41:53
the cool thing that Tennessee has done is they said, listen we
41:57
want to make sure that were utilizing you for what you're
42:01
good at, right? And so by having a recruiting
42:05
coordinator or director of Ops all these things, I think what
42:09
ends up happening is a lot of really good coaches eventually,
42:12
get elevated, right? The assistant coach just
42:14
coaches, kids have elevated to be a director.
42:17
Be a head coach would be a whatever and they Move away from
42:21
coaching, they move away from what they were good at and they
42:25
start doing a bunch of other things.
42:27
Paperwork emails meetings, you know, just endless literally
42:33
could be fundraising alone, all that equipment order.
42:37
Exactly. And and the reality is like,
42:39
listen, I wasn't hired here to do that.
42:42
I was hired here to make this program.
42:45
The best distance program that I can possibly make it.
42:49
And that's what I'm going to focus on here.
42:52
And I'm going to stay out of and allow our staff to do what they
42:58
need to do and their roles. Just yeah, I think people just
43:03
stay in their Lane do their job. Usually things work a little bit
43:06
easier. Yeah, I love this idea because,
43:09
again, you know, Shawn, you got into coaching to coach, not to
43:12
do paperwork and not to do call logs and all this stuff.
43:15
So I really like, I love them. I'm gonna be good at that
43:19
either, right? Exactly, yeah, I love that.
43:21
Director of Ops is becoming more common.
43:23
I know not every school has it yet.
43:25
And several programs. Now are starting to get to dioz
43:28
and, you know, recruiting coordinators, Etc.
43:30
So I just love that because it's supporting our coaches to be
43:33
coaches. And then also, the other things,
43:35
it doesn't absolve you from all the other things you got to do,
43:37
is I just love that, that sure, support of giving coaches here
43:40
for that, I want, I want those people to be in a position to
43:43
tell me what to do. Not me to tell them what to do,
43:45
right? Like I'm gonna coach to the X's
43:47
and O's and how Time to have relationships with our kids and
43:51
be present and go to lunch with them and, you know, being that
43:55
our lives and then, you know, on the side of things that we need
43:59
to do to be an organized program, be structured and do
44:03
things, right. Like, you know, we've got people
44:05
in place to have a know how to do it and we'll tell me when im
44:11
gonna show up to the meeting. So I love the vision.
44:15
That Danny White gives for this as far as I know, it's It's the
44:19
most unique out of any other university that I'm aware of.
44:21
Maybe there's somebody out there.
44:22
I just haven't heard of, I usually think of people comment
44:25
eventually, right. So going into something new like
44:28
this for you. This would be going into
44:30
something new. Even if it was the traditional
44:32
model, right? You go into a new place, you're
44:35
on your own, your own on this one, you know, your complete
44:37
fingerprint will be on this one others with it would scare the
44:41
bejesus out of them, right? It's like oh, wait a minute,
44:43
this is not the scent. You how we do it, Danny White
44:46
thing that we do it Tennessee. What?
44:48
Attracted you to what? What what you know I think of
44:51
Notre Dame. It conservative and traditional
44:53
here, we're doing something. We're throwing the recipe out
44:55
and creating a whole new ballgame here buddy.
44:57
What excited? You obviously excited.
44:59
You you took the job. What excited you about this?
45:02
Yeah I mean I just I don't want to go through the motions and
45:04
life and I'd rather be on The Cutting Edge of things and Do
45:10
something that I, you know, I would, you know, but then the
45:13
dad believed in it. Yeah.
45:14
I believe in what this can be and, and the success of this
45:18
kind of bow and I think when you believe in something, you got to
45:24
bet on yourself, you know, and that's what I did.
45:26
I know a lot of people think I'm crazy, but we took second across
45:29
country Nationals. We had the most distance
45:31
qualifiers, for other outdoor national me.
45:33
Like we're doing pretty well at Notre Dame and obviously, it
45:39
seemed like a pretty big move, but, you know, I'm just not
45:43
myself and what I think we can do here.
45:45
And, but now I'm Danny White, I believe in his vision here.
45:50
And what we can be, I think we can do it in a fun way, you
45:54
know, like there's high expectations but now I'm in a
45:57
sec. We can have some fun too.
46:00
So, yeah. Yeah, you know, I interview
46:03
coaches from around this country buddy, and not many say and have
46:07
fun with it. I love that attitude.
46:09
I mean, it's in the day, it's a job not supposed to support all
46:11
these other things, your family, your lives, your passions to be
46:14
able to have fun at work. That's a unique perspective and
46:17
we're in sport, so it shouldn't be unique for us.
46:19
But I love that attitude of Have some fun while we're doing this
46:22
and being successful. It's I mean, last year, I think
46:27
our last week, Nick edited up, we work 95 hours.
46:30
So, if I'm not having fun doing this, like this in my life,
46:35
right? Like what, what, why am I doing
46:38
it that? So, yeah.
46:40
We're we try and enjoy this and enjoy the relationships that
46:45
were able to make with our kids and stuff along on the way and
46:50
To be honest, winning is fun. Correct and hard, by the way,
46:55
very hard filling. And so, we're excited about that
47:01
part too. Well, let's talk about something
47:03
that we don't talk about a lot here.
47:04
I don't know that I've ever use this word on the podcast, Sean,
47:08
because I don't like dealing in. And I like just ask him straight
47:10
to the source. And I've got the source.
47:11
I'm gonna, we're gonna bust this right here.
47:14
I don't like dealing in rumors. All right, everybody likes to
47:16
talk and, of course, the internet chatter and all that
47:19
kind of stuff. It's out there.
47:20
The rumor is this this ain't just a radical new way of
47:25
looking at track and cross country.
47:26
It's a radical way of looking at how you support track and cross
47:30
country, they tell me that the internet's, you know, they camel
47:34
T they have yet to figure out who they are, but they keep
47:36
telling me stuff, right? That the cross-country / distant
47:40
side is going to be completely funded by in a lie.
47:44
Now, that's a cool sexy thing to say because of what, in a lie,
47:46
what you see with football and basketball?
47:49
Are you guys going? Completely.
47:51
So no scholarships for your distance, kids, only funded by
47:54
I. Don't know what I don't like is
47:55
I think God I got out of coaching.
47:56
Tell us what's the truth? What's, let's get the real
47:59
skinny here. Let's put this to bed.
48:04
Yeah we've raised a hundred million dollars already.
48:06
Now I'm just kidding. It looks like that's that's just
48:12
a rumor. We have scholarships allotted
48:16
for distance Runners here. Typical of what you see at any
48:22
program. So we believe that the money and
48:26
we're investing in distance running can allow us to be
48:29
successful. Yeah, perfect good.
48:31
So it's not a completely nli. That'd be the there is, if it
48:35
was going to be, I hate to say this, don't take this the wrong
48:37
way. Shawn, if this was going to be
48:38
done for cross-country at Tennessee, it would already been
48:40
done for basketball at Duke or basketball at name any other Big
48:45
Rich Notre Dame. Maybe, I don't know, it wouldn't
48:47
start with cross country folks so I love that.
48:49
There's some Additional ISM here.
48:52
That, you know, by the way, we still have rules notice how many
48:54
coaches? You said, it's the six coaches
48:56
that you're allowed and there's no nothing crazy and funny and
48:59
non rule book breaking and say a will probably eventually change
49:04
and some of those rules and scholarships and things like
49:07
that. I'm sure that's coming but we're
49:12
doing whatever they also doing trying to win with twelve point
49:15
six and 18 scholarships and now it is what it is, okay?
49:20
So Other inquiring minds. This isn't rumors is just me
49:23
now, prodding and poking and because I know a lot of the
49:25
people on your staff. So it's just curious, you have
49:28
very distinct staffs, you have a distant staff that you control
49:31
and you have a track staff that Dwayne overseas.
49:34
You mentioned your kind of. These are my words.
49:37
I don't want to put words in your mouth.
49:38
You're gonna be doing your own things.
49:39
You mentioned, you know, he doesn't know what Stanford 10K
49:41
meet. You got to go to and all that
49:43
stuff. And he knows what Sprints and
49:44
jumps and throws. He needs to go to, but you're
49:46
going to come together fully for like two times a year, right?
49:50
Not two times re two times indoors and by Guess 34 Outdoors
49:53
right conference and Nationals hyper-focused one team
49:56
volunteers, going at it and then Outdoors crop conference,
50:00
regionals and Nationals. How do you who makes the call?
50:05
You got a stud that can do the five in the time.
50:07
Speaking out of my butt here, I don't know who does doubles and
50:09
what, but you got to stop that can do a 15 and 5 double or
50:11
indoors. That's probably where it's more
50:13
going to be able to write. DM are eight hundred, fifteen
50:15
hundred, three thousand, guess it's the Mi, not the 15.
50:18
I just had it every distance Coachella.
50:20
On Twitter right now, by the way who makes the call on Personnel,
50:25
you do llege to help the team do best for conference and
50:28
Nationals. Yeah, I mean, I think the first
50:31
thing I said is like one all at times will get different meats
50:36
and I think we're still one unified program.
50:40
Look like me, main still want to be together in this and our
50:44
host, both our Styles want to be together in this and so you know
50:49
I think we're still one Unified. It grew with one Visions.
50:53
So I don't think that goes away and same with the kids on the
50:55
team. Yeah our distance kids are grown
50:57
or sprinters and jumpers and their hours and no vice versa.
51:00
And so we still want to have all that.
51:02
Be a part of it and we want to be a team and we want to support
51:06
each other and do that. But I think part of being a good
51:08
team is trusting your teammate right?
51:12
The distance, Runner trust that the throwers going to do what he
51:15
needs to do and you know myself and Dwayne trust that we're Do
51:20
what we need to do and, and know the right decisions to make and
51:24
so Dwayne's. Not going to pretend to know
51:28
whether that 10K, kid. You know, that might be having a
51:30
shot at winning a national title.
51:32
The national meet needs to run a 10K a conference or not.
51:35
He's just gonna say score as many points.
51:36
As you can up conference me, do it in a way where we can do our
51:40
best, we possibly can Nationals and a conference in the same
51:44
thing. No, it's people complicate this
51:48
to be more than it is like if he knows that I have the best
51:53
interest in our program and I know that he is the best
51:55
interest in our program and you we trust each other to do what's
52:01
right and in that process. And so yeah he's not going to
52:05
have her. Tell me whether we need a Raonic
52:08
in the 10K and I'm not going to tell him anything about
52:12
strength. I want you to lay out his for
52:14
buy one for him. Please just tell us.
52:16
Hey you know what Dwayne? I've been looking at this.
52:19
Yeah. And then I even know where to
52:22
start. Just start the start baby.
52:24
Just started start just think that's what's happened in our
52:27
sport is we take good coaches and we overwhelm them with a
52:33
bunch of other stuff and they don't become good coaches
52:35
anymore. They become very average
52:36
coaches. Let people do what they're
52:41
supposed to do. Really, really well.
52:44
And you know, create the staff and support around each other,
52:49
and you're going to probably be pretty good.
52:53
That reminds me of the, you know, having the right people on
52:55
the bus, that's only half the equation having those people in
52:57
the right seats. Yeah.
52:59
Bus that's what it reminds me. When you tell me that I like
53:02
that. I like that.
53:03
All right, man, you have been, I don't know what is his day.
53:07
This is like day, 17 for you is not very many.
53:10
Maybe they got their numbers might not, you might not even
53:14
know how to get from where ever, you're probably in an apartment
53:16
or something, or a hotel room right now to the office.
53:19
It's probably still doing that. You're recruiting, you got a
53:21
great staff finally got that. Yeah, he finally it was quick.
53:24
It was good. You get good people.
53:26
You're super super busy, thank you so much, but wrap us up
53:29
here. We're going into cross country.
53:31
Season fact, when you're listening to this, I think they
53:33
just had their first home meet first cross-country me.
53:36
Which was a homie to get a home meat that you're hosting.
53:39
What's Got you in the staff excited for the season?
53:42
What are you really looking forward to not in cross country,
53:45
but also in doing outdoor. What's just got you jacked up?
53:47
You just can't, you can't wait, what's got you excited?
53:50
You mean think we've got a really good group of kids here
53:54
on campus right now in Tennessee, jerseys want to get
53:59
better. And I mean, you can't last much
54:02
more than that is kids that are bought in want to get better.
54:05
I mean, I've been incredibly impressed by You know how
54:10
excited our team is about. I have a new staff here and
54:14
wanting to just, you know, take the next steps in their
54:17
progression is as distance Runners.
54:20
Now, I know we're new system but they all seem really excited
54:23
about it and then we're excited about the future.
54:26
You know we've already had I think 30 to 40 Kids on Campus
54:29
already and we've had one to two kids every single day that I've
54:33
been here for visits and will continue to roll with it.
54:38
I think I've been impressed by. How how easy this place is to,
54:47
you know, kind of sell to kids, you know, it sells itself really
54:52
and so, yeah, it's been, it's been fun, you know?
54:55
And it's a cool City, we're close to Nature.
54:58
We've kind of got the best of everything we got mild weather,
55:01
I get to see the Sun every single day here, which is rare
55:05
where I'm coming from. So there's just a lot of really
55:08
cool things going on and we're pumped and one sec.
55:13
Now it's good. Lot of this.
55:16
Just means more. Yeah, let me tell you, I have a
55:20
buddy of another school that's coming into the SCC and I was
55:23
like, look man, I was like, I was in SEC before am in
55:25
Missouri, was there. And it sucks.
55:27
It's just a tough brutal, dead meat.
55:29
And then they added and in Missouri and now they're going
55:31
to add Oklahoma and Texas, buddy.
55:33
Yeah, I'm it's a shake it up bloodbath and I have no doubt
55:36
that you guys are because I have known Dwayne for a long time
55:39
now. And believe in him, I've seen
55:41
what you've done, I believe in you, I believe it.
55:43
Actually beyond that because one plus one can equal to, but I
55:47
think the support of the of the University of the athletic
55:51
department and starts from Danny, right?
55:52
I think this makes it a one plus one equals three kind of thing.
55:55
And that's I know there's plenty of people that are a little
55:57
concerned right now, my friend and that's a good seat for you
55:59
to be in to be causing that concern.
56:02
So now it's time to go out and produce and that's what you've
56:04
done throughout your career. Yeah, I mean, I think part of
56:09
the best friend coach in the world and I think I can do my
56:12
job pretty well. Liked, It's a rest in the rest
56:18
of them are bad. Either.
56:19
My friend you know that I know at this point we can say some
56:22
things but yeah, incredible staff and we're going to let
56:26
people do their jobs then. That's simple, you know, I love
56:31
it, I love it. You love to complicate you know
56:33
uncomplicated things. Same thing with distance running
56:36
or, you know, X's and O's of track and field.
56:39
Like then just do simple stuff really, really well.
56:43
And you're probably going to be very good.
56:45
When you start trying to work on 1% stuff, you forget about the
56:49
99% that actually matters that we've got the right people in
56:54
the right place is that all want what's best for the program.
56:58
And Want to support each other and we're going to run with
57:01
that. Well, my friend, what I love
57:04
about your story as exciting as you know.
57:06
I use the analogy of the 400 meters a lot and where they are
57:09
where people are in their careers.
57:11
You are barely at the starting line.
57:14
And what I mean by that is a positive thing means.
57:16
You're so young. You've got a lot of experience,
57:19
but you've got 10, 20, 30, 40, I don't know.
57:22
With modern Miracle medicine. You might have 50 years.
57:25
Look at the way. You have fun with this.
57:26
You go be coaching for a long time.
57:27
I could just tell me. You appear on a, you go on for a
57:30
long time and I'll carry you got those guys as examples.
57:33
Bad, you got a long long Runway and that there won't be a
57:36
hundred hour or so. We going on 50 and 60.
57:38
I can tell you that much. I still got the right now but
57:40
you'll deserve to move without them.
57:42
You'll deserve to move it down to 50 or 60 hours a week back,
57:44
then it's okay, it's okay. But what's exciting about that
57:47
is, you know, the success that you've had today which is
57:50
amazing for this young a point in her career, you're gonna have
57:54
so much more going in. You're going to positively
57:56
impact, young people so much. More and I love, I love that
58:01
your pedigree. I love your background and that
58:03
it comes on a coaching scale from North Central.
58:07
You mentioned about training earlier.
58:08
We don't talk as X's and O's, but I love how you said it, you
58:10
like all the train yards, north central way.
58:12
I mean, that's just what we do, and you've added your own spin
58:14
as you continue to educate yourself, and get better in the
58:17
kids that come in, that are a little different.
58:18
So you got to do, you know, some things like that.
58:20
I love that story because that's what gives people.
58:23
Hope someone doesn't have to look at your position and go.
58:25
Oh well, I have to be a division.
58:27
One runner at Notre Dame. To kind of get a job like, Sean
58:30
has like, no, no, you can work your butt off, have great
58:32
mentors, but the work in what we might do, one hired me because
58:36
of my athletic pedigree. Thank God, right?
58:40
I'm in the same boat. So I can thank God that wasn't
58:42
part of the, for the interview process, but, no, it's exciting
58:46
John man. I'm really appreciate your time.
58:48
I appreciate Lex, and I love being a mythbuster.
58:49
I love kind of clearing the air and showing people that really
58:52
at the end of the day, when you pull back that orange curtain,
58:55
it's a bunch of people doing a bunch of hard work and having
58:58
fun. And I think that's going to show
59:00
once we start seeing results here in Cross Country season,
59:02
indoor and outdoor, and I'm excited for it, man.
59:05
I really am awesome. Well, thanks for having me.
59:08
Yeah, Shawn may appreciate your time again.
59:09
I know. You're super busy, man.
59:10
Go back. I know you probably five
59:11
recruits sitting right outside the Des the office.
59:14
You got a bunch of Dio's and recruiting coordinators.
59:18
Go get em, man. And good luck at the indoor M.
59:20
I'm sorry at your home because that's no small feat on its own,
59:23
man. That's its own fun stuff there.
59:25
So, thanks again for being here today, man.
59:27
Thank you for listening today. Join us next week.
59:29
We're gonna have another awesome person.
59:31
We're going to find out if they have as much fun as this guy.
59:33
He definitely looks good in orange though.
59:34
I'm going to give you that so we'll see.
59:36
Who else. Pulls different colors as we go
59:38
along the road here. So thanks a lot for being here
59:40
and we'll see you next week. Thanks Mike what an incredible
59:50
journey coach has been on so awesome to hear their story in
59:53
their own words, tremendous proof of the positive effects
59:56
coaches make on a daily basis. Help us spread the word of this.
59:59
Great journey by sharing on your favorite social, media channel.
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