WholeHogSports
McDonnell ineligible to coach at Olympics
Posted on Wednesday, May 21, 2008
URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/65412/
Retiring University of Arkansas track coach John McDonnell coaches his last team with the Razorbacks at next month’s NCAA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Ia. and not with the U. S. Olympic team in August at Beijing, China.
Elected at the USA Track and Field Convention to be the distance running coach for the U. S. team, McDonnell, back in the office Tuesday after his Razorbacks won the SEC Outdoor last weekend in Auburn, Ala, said he has long withdrawn from his Olympic post after being presented with a choice he did not want to make.
Bubba Thornton, the University of Texas coach serving as the U. S. Olympic head coach, called him a couple of months ago, McDonnell said, relaying a U. S. Olympic rule that would have caused McDonnell to renounce his commitment of coaching foreign athletes among the post-collegians he still coaches and advises.
“ I turned that down, because Bubba Thornton called me and said the question had been raised that I’ve been coaching international athletes and anyone who coaches international athletes cannot be a coach the USA team, ” McDonnell said.
McDonnell said he looked it up and found, “ There was a rule that said if you coach two or more foreign athletes, you shouldn’t be coaching a U. S team. ”
In their pro careers, McDonnell still coaches former Razorback distance running NCAA champions Alistair Cragg, a South African running internationally for Ireland, and Josphat Boit of Kenya and also coaches Mark Fountain, an Australian distance champion married to former Lady Razorback distance runner Erica Sigmont.
Since nearly major college track program has foreign athletes on their men’s and women’s teams even if they don’t coach them after col- lege, did McDonnell contest it and ask for an exception ?
“ I didn’t give them a chance, ” McDonnell said. “ I just sent them an email and said,.... ’ Under the circumstances, my first obligation is to the foreign athletes at Arkansas, and if that stands in the way of anything, I’ll just turn down the job. ”
McDonnell said he “ didn’t want to make a big deal about it” and just went about his business coaching the Razorbacks.
Louisville coach Ron Mann, formerly the head coach for 24 years at Northern Arizona, replaces McDonnell as the U. S team’s distance coach.
“ We are disappointed, ” Bubba Thornton was quoted in Track and Field News, “ John won’t be part of the staff, but we understand his loyalty to the athletes he coaches. We are extremely excited that Ron Mann has joined us and look forward to the expertise he will bring to our staff and Team USA athletes at the Olympics. ”
Always one who shunned serving on boards and committees to concentrate on coaching the Razorbacks, McDonnell, born and raised in Ireland but a naturalized U. S. citizen, previously turned down overtures to coach the U. S. team.
“ It’s not anything I’ve ever pursued, ” McDonnell said. “ The only reason I took it now was that I knew I was at the end of the road as a college coach. Being honest, I’m not disappointed one bit. ” Olympic coaching track athletes coached year round by others is more of a ceremonial than coaching task. “ You’re basically a baby sitter, ” McDonnell said. “ Make sure they get to the track in time for their event. They all have got their personal coaches. That meet down there [winning his 84 th conference title with the SEC Outdoor at Auburn ] was more gratifying to me than the Olympics. ”
Booth to interview McDonnell confirmed that his longtime right-hand man, renowned field events coach Dick Booth, a former U. S. Olympic coach and former University of Southwestern Louisiana head coach, will interview for the Razorback track coaching vacancy with athletics director Jeff Long. Booth becomes the first Long interviews precipitating a national search before McDonnell’s successor is named.
What’s Next ? McDonnell now readies the Razorbacks for the NCAA Mideast Regional Qualifying meet that the Razorbacks and Lance Harter’s Lady Razorbacks co-host May 30-31. After the NCAA Outdoor Championships, June 11-14 in Des Moines, McDonnell and Booth make themselves available to assist Razorbacks and ex-Razorbacks competing at the U. S. Olympic Trials June 26-July 6 in Eugene, Ore.