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http://www2.arkansasonline.com/news/200 ... ll-retire/

This will be a hard act to follow. John's 42 national championships (13 if you use the common "conversion factor" since he coaches three sports ...cross country, indoor track and outdoor track...ie, 42/3 =13) may well never be exceeded in any sport. John has brought more respect to the state than any one individual I have ever known....pretty good achievement for a local boy (actually from Ireland via what is now Lousiana-Lafayette and later Greenland, Ark shop teacher). Give Uncle Frank credit for either (a) helping John succeed or (b) allowing him to succeed. I would expect to see the USA Track and Field pro champion ships, World Indoors and US Olympic Trials in Fayetteville before John really retires. Fayetteville has the best venues for indoor track and oudoor track of any place in the US (courtesy of a lot of Tyson money).

Hats off to a great competitor and coach. (By the way, John never had any problem competing with anyone, even before he coached a powerhouse..."line up and race" could be his motto...that is one of the main reasons he has been so successful...).

I suppose one has to give credit for a good career. However, to use a term from our friend UCABEARS75....Who wants to follow a "Snoot" ?

Monty

To be fair...1907 did put this in the "other colleges and professional" forum.

And there it should stay.....

Wow! What a career! Excellent Job and congrats on all the accomplishments! Glad also to see this in the other colleges and universities thread also. This isn't Tribal Grounds, this board allows actual news from the other in state universities....even if we don't like them, praising the accomplishments of other coaches is a good thing to do...but I agree with Monty...it will take an efforts like coach Mc accomplished to even have me read a pig thread...

(my first babbling thread)

By the way, John welcomed UCA cross country teams to his home meet as he acutally encourages competition on the field of play. UCA does not always attend the meet because of the timing of the SLC meet but they are welcomed. You can argue that he is not in fear of losing but he invites the top D2 schools to run and they have on more than one occasion won the meet.

I met coach McD during my short time on the Hill, and I thought he was a very friendly guy. I have to give him respect for what he's done with the track program @ Arkansas, lodged in between the shadows of a football stadium and a basketball arena. Track isn't a big money sport but because of that it's also less political. This coach didn't talk a big game and then deliver less than promised.... his athletes were simply some of the fastest, or most agile, on the field. I'm actually sorry to see him go because he made Fayetteville, and by association the state of Arkansas, perhaps the "track capital of the world." UCA does benefit from that association.

And I'm glad his name is on the new track complex instead of another Tyson's.

John is the classic track personality...the race shows who is best, not some panel of judges or even referees calling fouls....toe the line and do your best...if you lose, get better...no BS and posturing...no polls by ESPN airheads...he never showed ANY sympathy for an athete making excuses and he always credited his guys when they did well......