For the women this is their third #1 class in a row: http://www.aggieathletics.com/sports/c-xctrack/spec-rel/121809aac.html


The rich just got richer...

The 400 meter guy just finished 4th in the world championships. Amazing. Oh, let's toss in a couple of world junior champions. If only the rest of our coaches were as good as Pat Henry.

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If only the rest of our coaches were as good as Pat Henry.

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Well, just about every one of our coaches are recognized as among the best coaches in their respective sports right now. All of them are well respected coaches. If they weren't, they wouldn't be here.

How is a guy who finished fourth at the world championships not a professional?

Wow. 3 straight #1 classes. Has anyone done that before in any sport? Maybe Tennessee or UConn women's bball? Incredible.

How old is Pat Henry/how many more years will he be around here? I hope we win at least 5 or 6 more titles before he retires, so that we can be firmly established as the premiere national program when he leaves, and one of his assistants can take over without missing a beat.

Uhh, he's not pro because then he wouldn't be able to run for the National Champion Aggies, duh.

Coach Henry is 58. If he coaches as long as McDonnell coached, which was a long time, then we've got 12 more years with Henry.

Congrats on the latest recruiting class & a great home opener indoors. Looking forward to this years track season!

El aggie that was a lame attempt at humor. My question is legitimate. Prize money is awarded at events like the world championships and many other international competitions. Countries often subsidize their athletes as well which would make them professional. I'm not saying I don't want the guy here, but I am wondering how a guy like this is not a pro. Certainly running for the Aggies is not reason enough to turn down that money.

A lot of track athletes will spend time in college.

If you run down the 400m in Berlin, #1 went to ECU, #2 went to Baylor, #3 went, and I think still might be out in the Texas panhandle at South Plains College, #4 has spent time at JUCO and is now here, etc...

A lot of these guys aren't going to cash in huge when they're 18, so they go where they get a scholarship, get quality coaching in quality facilities, some jumping up to an A&M like program and getting world class coaching in world class facilities, make a name for themselves in America and establish themselves in the track circle than go cash in the mega bucks when they really hit their prime.

Both of the last two posts speak to the issue. I agree with Aggie2207, it is most unusual for a world championship finalist who missed medaling by one place to return and run for a college team. But I also agree with Txaggie 2011...return to school and get the best coaching available. You really can't top coaches Henry and sprint coach Vince Anderson. There are no outdoor world championships this coming year and we're two and a half years away from the olympics. Should work out well for 400 specialist Tabarie Henry.

Being provided a place to train and a coach wouldn't make him a professional, just like an athlete who is redshirting can still travel on the school's dime to a USATF national championship, and the school can continue to pay for that athlete to go to other meets in an attempt to reach a qualifying standard for the national team. All as long as it's about representing the national team.

As long as the guy didn't receive money for running in any races, or run in any races in a uniform provided to him directly from a sponsor, he's fine.

The other side of it is business - big business for track athletes is the Olympics, so he'll be able to sign a bigger contract closer to that time, assuming he keeps improving.

It doesn't look like he needs to improve much just to medal.

he might also be interested in actually getting a degree

^^No way redd. I mean, he could make a decent living wage until he's about 25, so long as he doesn't injure himself and after that, even though he would have no education, he would've had those few years where he was a professional. I mean, that money could probably carry him until he was at least 27. Unless you account for the travel costs of those last few years where he's hanging on to his track dreams but can't perform anymore. Then he'll probably be broke. But I mean, there's no way he wants an education.

I predict that the A&M women's track team will win a National Championships in the next 2 years.

[/2011]

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^^No way redd. I mean, he could make a decent living wage until he's about 25, so long as he doesn't injure himself and after that, even though he would have no education, he would've had those few years where he was a professional. I mean, that money could probably carry him until he was at least 27. Unless you account for the travel costs of those last few years where he's hanging on to his track dreams but can't perform anymore. Then he'll probably be broke. But I mean, there's no way he wants an education.

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It is possible and been done before. Walter Dix is a good recent example.

yes, if only the rest of our coaches were as good. I mean there is no reason that we should not have the world's best coach here at A&M for every sport.

There is NO reason?

Really.

Never mind that we don't have a history of excellence in all sports, Aggies are weird, we're in Texas, our athletic department is in debt, there is another athletic powerhouse in Austin, and so on.

Let's add that a huge percentage of Aggies care only about football, then basketball, then baseball.

On the other hand there is no reason I can think of that we should not have a coach in every sport that can achieve a top 10-20 ranking consistently, contend for conference championships every year, and national titles every decade.

[This message has been edited by SpicewoodAg (edited 12/23/2009 6:37p).]

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On the other hand there is no reason I can think of that we should not have a coach in every sport that can achieve a top 10-20 ranking consistently, contend for conference championships every year, and national titles every decade.

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I can't think of any school that has all of that all the time, even the "mighty" Longhorns. Even if you've got all the money you could use, a line of experts helping you with every hire, it still takes some luck to have that type of program.

That said, I get your point and I'm not trying to be an apolgist for struggling, mediocre, etc... programs here.

I think we're pretty close to having it. If we can football going and volleyball, we'll be one of the top handful of athletic programs in the nation. We're already knocking on the door with the resurgence of baseball and basketball along with all the accolades the less popular sports are recieving.