Eyestone leads by example

PROVO — Ed Eyestone — singer, songwriter, guitarist, Olympian, TV commentator, writer, father of six daughters, and, oh, yeah, coach — is quietly restoring BYU's prowess in distance running. So far, Eyestone and the Cougars haven't produced, well, another Eyestone, but they're on the brink of doing so.

Eyestone was hired to coach BYU's distance and middle-distance runners in 2000, and his effect on the program has been apparent. Four of his runners will compete in this weekend's NCAA track championships in Sacramento.

In retrospect, the hiring of Eyestone was a no-brainer. When it comes to running, he has pretty much done it all. Coming back from a two-year mission layoff? Done it. Competing in big-pressure competitions? Try two Olympic Trials and the '88 and '92 Olympic Games, plus the world track championships, world cross country championships and several of the world's most prestigious road races. Championships? He was a four-time NCAA champion and the No. 1-ranked U.S. road racer.

"He's done everything an athlete can do," head coach Mark Robison says.

Great athletes don't necessarily make good coaches, but somehow anyone who knows Eyestone knew he was a good fit for the job. He's a laid-back, humorous man whose personality always won over media types, peers and rivals. His expertise and articulation were such that he was hired years ago by ESPN and later Fox Sports to do color commentary for their TV coverage of road races. He also writes a monthly column for Runner's World.

When Robison was hired as head coach, he turned immediately to Eyestone. "Just observing things over the years, I knew that your assistant coaches are the most important decision you'll make," says Robison, "and I knew that I didn't ever want to fire anybody. I actually started talking to him about it a year before I was hired."

BYU's distance running had slipped after thriving for years under coach Sherald James. The school is affectionately known as Quarterback U. because of all the top quarterbacks the Cougars have produced, but actually BYU has produced more Olympic distance and middle-distance runners than NFL quarterbacks.

It culminated in 1984, when BYU graduates swept the distance races at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Los Angeles — Henry Marsh won the 3,000-meter steeplechase (a year after setting the still-standing American record), Doug Padilla won the 5,000-meter run and Paul Cummings won the 10,000. This was just a week after Eyestone won the 10,000-meter run in the NCAA Championships. A year later, Eyestone pulled off NCAA's triple crown by winning the cross country championships and the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs at the collegiate track championships.