BYU tops in track, thanks to an easygoing coach
Dick Harmon
He could have rested on the reputation of his legendary father, a former Olympian and architect of the Cougar program, which he built into one of the most dominating track and field legacies in the region. He could have coasted on the draft of his predecessor, Willard Hirschi.
He could have bungled the baton handoff, dropped it to the ground in mid-race and embarrassed himself with the program.
But Robison's done quite the opposite. A man with a permanent Eagle Scout attitude, he's a person without guile. He's used his affable, easygoing personality to recruit talent, persuading many to accept partial scholarships.
Robison just finished putting the puzzle together for an 11th straight BYU conference title over the weekend in Fort Worth.
That 11th consecutive title sets a school record at BYU, transcending any stretch of titles in the WAC or MWC by his father, or Hirschi, who is now retired. This 26th conference outdoor title surpasses any sport at BYU including the 23 in football.
Since he's been BYU's head track coach, Mark Robison has never lost a conference track championship. For his efforts, he was named the MWC track coach of the year for the fifth straight season.
Robison's found the cruise control switch for BYU track.
It could also be argued the competition in these parts just isn't there. Utah, for instance, doesn't have a men's track team. Wyoming barely does. TCU, however, fields some of the top sprinters in the country if not the world and nearly won the title merely with its sprint and relay teams.
The key may be in the numbers. Since Title IX, the sport of men's track has stripped scholarships to 12.69. A school like TCU, which placed seven of the top eight sprinters in the 200, may hand out full scholarships, limiting how many events the Frogs can compete in. BYU spreads those dozen through a squad of 60 athletes and routinely challenges in most events except the sprints.
A big help is getting a packhorse like sophomore Leif Arrhenius to win the discus, shot put and come in second in the hammer. He scored 28 of BYU's 210 points. It's also helpful to get a football player or two to compete in track without a scholarship. A recent grid commit, Adam Timo, a junior state record holder from St. George (7-foot-2 high jumper), could prove valuable two years from now.
Balance. Perhaps that's Robison's secret. And it can only be achieved by selling recruits on sharing grant-in-aid money, something the NCAA prohibits in football and basketball.
Former BYU and Alabama athletic director Glen Tuckett said maintaining athletic success is the toughest challenge of winning programs.
Recent comments
Ditto. I would love to see a piece about how some of these great...
Another track fan | May 20, 2008 at 11:32 p.m.
Great story on a great coach!
byufan | May 20, 2008 at 4:16 p.m.
The BYU Men's track program has an unparalleled tradition of...
BY | May 20, 2008 at 2:54 p.m.
