TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

This past weekend your team competed at the Black Squirrel Invitational, hosted by Kent State. What type of event was that and what type of events do you look to schedule during the indoor season?
It was an event among the schools from the Mid-American Conference and the BIG EAST. Our indoor season is just as long as the outdoor, however we use this time to condition our student-athletes for the outdoor season.

Does your team always practice together - or is it segmented with throwers practicing at one time, runners at another?
We always warm up together as a team. After about 45 minutes to an hour of warm up, we break off to areas of specialty.

Do you set individual goals for each of your athletes? On a team level, what do you hope to accomplish during the indoor season?
We really use the indoor season as preparation time to get ready for the outdoor season, however our athletes and coaching staff set goals for the season. We want to do well in the MAC - that is our first objective. As far as individual goals for the indoor season, we want our athletes to go from the MAC Championships to the IC4A (men) and ECAC (women) Championships and then on to the NCAA Championships.

What adjustments have you had to make in transferring from a sprint and hurdles specialist in your first three seasons at UB to your current position of head coach?
Overall, there is a lot more paperwork. You also have to understand the responsibilities you have as the head coach - for example, keeping the athletes and coaches on the same page. When I was an assistant, I only had to take care of my events, but now it's the whole program. To me, that's exciting. When I was at Erie Community College (ECC), I was the head coach for 23 years. I missed that, so to get back into it was exciting.

How would you compare your second season as head coach to your first? What changes, if any, have you made in your approach?
We have a lot of young, talented athletes this year after graduating many seniors. That's to be expected. It’s a learning process not just for our athletes, but also for our coaching staff. Our objective is to groom these student-athletes into Division I talent.

Is it unique to have two head coaches - Vicki Mitchell for the women and yourself for the men? What are the benefits of that setup?
I have a lot of respect for Coach Mitchell as both an athlete and a coach. The combination of the two of us as head coaches creates an exciting situation. The coaching staff here at UB is assigned to either men or women, however our situation is different. Coach Mitchell and I share the responsibility of coaching both men and women.

What types of things do you look at during the recruiting process? How do you divide responsibilities up among the entire coaching staff?
Each coach recruits in their area of expertise. The overall recruiting program is headed by Coach Mitchell and Coach (Tim) Beach. They are our recruiting coordinators.

Having coached track and field for over 25 years - including your time at ECC and Buffalo State - how much has the sport meant to you?
It seems as though I have come full circle. It was exciting when I was an athlete and it has remained that way since I have been an assistant coach and a head coach. I have seen many student-athletes participate in this sport just as I did. Now as a coach, my goal is to have my student-athletes reach their full potential.

You were recently named as one of the five starters for this July's Olympic Trials in Sacramento. You are also a USA Certified Master Official and have served in a variety of officiating roles for the NCAA Championships. What type of process was it for you to reach the level that you are at now as an official?
I had to go through three phases. First, the Associate phase, then the National Phase and finally the Masters phase. I have paid my dues. I had to officiate several events - such as the NCAAs, the NJCAAs and USATF events.

As for the level that I recently obtained, it is the Men's and Women's Track and Field Committees and my colleagues that are the ones that decide on officials for the Olympic Trials. To be honest, I was surprised that I was asked to be one of the five starters chosen. You go about paying your dues just like everyone else, but you never expect an honor like that. It really means a lot to me.

What was the experience like for you in 1991 when you served as a private speed and endurance consultant with the Buffalo Bills, working with then starting free safety Mark Kelso?
At that time, Mark Kelso approached me when I was coaching at ECC and asked if I would work with him and a couple of his teammates to help improve their speed. For me, that was a great experience. Now, I think that there are a lot more track coaches working with professional athletes in sports like football, baseball and basketball. It was an experience that I will never forget, but I am very happy as a track coach.

-The "10 Questions with…" feature is compiled by Geoff Nason.