Unbelievable: T&F Coach Robert Johnson Fired

[Charles Fischer]

The coach who has brought more national championships to Oregon since...??  The official press release from Oregon Athletics is below:

 

EUGENE, Ore. – The University of Oregon announced today that the contract of head track and field and cross country coach Robert Johnson will not be renewed. His contract is slated to expire on June 30. Associate head coach Helen Lehman-Winters will serve as the interim head coach.

 

A national search for a new leader for the Oregon track and field and cross country programs is underway.

 

[idontrollonshobbas]

Heard rumblings about this....is Vin Lannana coming back?

 

[shawnski]

On 6/23/2022 at 8:20 PM, idontrollonshobbas said:

Heard rumblings about this....is Vin Lannana coming back?

 

Hope not

Lannana was a grifter taking money from UofO, Nike, USA track and field. Using the university as his own personal piggy bank.

Also some hints of bribery and corruption?

 

No thanks 

[shawnski]

I remember some articles alleging mental abuse of women athletes and fat shaming or something last year? 

 

He produced results it seems.

 

Got to be more to the story 

[DanLduck]

On 6/23/2022 at 8:49 PM, shawnski said:

I remember some articles alleging mental abuse of women athletes and fat shaming or something last year? 

 

He produced results it seems.

 

Got to be more to the story 

I think this has to be a large part of it. The issues with him covered several years with multiple athletes. 

In today's atmosphere of zero tolerance, it's not too surprising he is let go.

 

With our track history and new stadium, we shouldn't have any trouble getting an outstanding coach as replacement. 

[Charles Fischer]

He created more National Championships in three years than the Huskies did in 130 years!

[Flaps2]

Might have been time for a new voice leading the program. 2016/17 keeps getting farther behind. Plus the news about the fat shaming weight watchers may have led some athletes into a mental health tailspin. 

 

No coach is immune from losing their job. The moment fans and an organization's leaders start ignoring the red flags because of a built in devotion towards a winning coach is when they get in serious trouble like we have seen with other programs.

 

[Kurt Rambis]

Both coaching and playing are "What have you done for me lately?"  Mark Helfrich, Ed Orgeron, Chip Kelly in Philly, Doug Pederson in Philly, Frank Vogel with the Lakers...the list goes on and on.

[JDuck]

He helped us become more of a sprint program but we won the Pac this year again both men and women, and then did WHAT at nationals?  We have WHAT for a facility?  Uncle WHO and WHAT company for top notch T&F exposure?  A company founded by a T&F athlete alum...did he have any say in this you think?

 

It does feel like it's time for a change

[Washington Waddler]

     Started to have my doubts when he lost Andy and Maurica Powell to the Huskies. No question they were looking and deserved a move up the ladder, but might have stayed had they been offered the right incentives.  All they’ve done since is to turn a miserable T&F program into winners.

[Haywarduck]

We have one of the premier programs in the country, and now the best facilities in the world for Track and Field. It shouldn't be hard to find a coach who can take the program even higher. I have faith in the future of Track and Field, along with Cross Country at Oregon.

[Quackerbacker]

The most prestigious facility(s) in the US for track & field and it's not even a close.   

 

And the history of Hayward field goes back to when I was a kid and believe me that was a looong time ago.  

 

I'm sure Phil is very involved in the process of bringing a new coach to Eugene and will make sure the $$ are available to pay whoever it is.

 

Getting a top flight coach to Eugene will not be a problem!

[JDuck]

Oh, and I still can't believe our Uncle hasn't funded an INDOOR facility that would be prime to host WORLDS in Eugene 

[Drake]

Track Town USA.
 

Build it and they will come sounds good. However, recruiting T & F athletes requires more than a tour of the facilities. 
 

Don’t know any of the back story on this, but I have to agree that hiring a new coach should not be a huge issue. It would be great if Oregon once again reclaimed the distance races. Kind of put us on the map. 
 

Winning National titles require top notch athletes in more than a few events. This will be interesting to see how this plays out. I hope there won’t be a bunch of immediate transfers out of the program. 
 

 

[Steven A]

On 6/23/2022 at 10:54 PM, Charles Fischer said:

more National Championships in three years than the Huskies did in 130 years!

Don't forget, or the next 130.

[Duck 1972]

We lost our 2 stud long distance runners early to the pros last year. That didn't help. 

[mrspenney]

I wonder what Mullen's relationship is with the Powell's?  If he could hire them back, and keep the sprint assistant coach the Ducks future would be fantastic.

[Charles Fischer]

There might be some bad blood with the way the Powell took some athletes with them to Seattle.  The North Carolina A&T coach built something out of nowhere...  (No 9 in the nation)

[McDuck]

This guy?  We would be a month late.

 

North Carolina A&T's Duane Ross named new track and field coach at Tennessee

HBCUSPORTS.COM

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Duane Ross, who led the North Carolina A&T track and field team to top-three finishes in the national indoor and outdoor NCAA championships, was named the

 

[Charles Fischer]

On 6/25/2022 at 1:27 PM, McDuck said:

This guy?  We would be a month late.

Crap.  Cross that name off!

[Annie]

On 6/23/2022 at 8:49 PM, shawnski said:

I remember some articles alleging mental abuse of women athletes and fat shaming or something last year? 

 

...

I think it's pretty much that.

Women athletes allege body shaming within Oregon Ducks track and field program

WWW.OREGONLIVE.COM

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Six former UO athletes say they felt devalued as individuals and at risk for eating disorders because of the program’s data-driven...

 

[McDuck]

Johnson was a highly successful coach.  Year old body shaming allegations would be a reason for warnings and mandated behavior modifications, not termination IMO.

[Charles Fischer]

On 6/25/2022 at 2:39 PM, McDuck said:

Johnson was a highly successful coach.  Year old body shaming allegations would be a reason for warnings and mandated behavior modifications, not termination IMO.

Agreed.  There must be the threat of a law-suit, or something that was brewing that we will never know.

 

Or perhaps Phil lost confidence in Johnson?

[TheRunningDuck]

This cannot be about his coaching as it would be difficult to replicate his success.

[Duck 1972]

It's a terrible thing that is happening. You can't say anything to the pampered athletes. They are running the show.

[nw777b]

On 6/23/2022 at 10:54 PM, Charles Fischer said:

He created more National Championships in three years than the Huskies did in 130 years!

Hahaha! I hear the Huskies are pushing to have all competition done via MS Teams.

[2002duck]

"“We are not professional athletes. We do not have access to a bounty of organic food. We do not have unlimited time to cook. We cannot plan our days around our nutrition, and we are not the 30-year-old Olympians that coach Johnson seeks to compare our body fat percentage to."

 

I'm sorry, but I'm just not very sympathetic with all of these former Oregon track athletes complaining that their body fat percentages are being tracked, and that they're being told their percentages need to be very low in order to be an elite runner. Perhaps Oregon should be more upfront prospects about this process in the recruitment process, because if you are on the University of Oregon Track & Field team, you should be striving to be an Olympian, and soon.

 

[McDuck]

On 6/26/2022 at 10:51 PM, 2002duck said:

"“We are not professional athletes. We do not have access to a bounty of organic food. We do not have unlimited time to cook. We cannot plan our days around our nutrition, and we are not the 30-year-old Olympians that coach Johnson seeks to compare our body fat percentage to."

Don't track athletes have access to "training tables" just like football players?  The Oregon Athletic Dept staff directory lists positions such as "Sports Dietitian",  "Senior Sports Dietitian", Director of Performance and Sports Science", "Director of Food Operations", plus cooks and food operations.  I doubt T&F is excluded.

[Notalot]

There must be more to the personnel change than what shows up in this thread. I am confident in Rob Mullens, President Schill, and the inside circle of donors.

 

They have not been inclined to rash or arbitrary personnel actions.UO has solid and reliable administrstive leadership. I do not need to know all the details, and have confidence that the new coach will be very connected and qualified.

 

My view is that Oregon T&F should be tops by a confortable margin. Eugene IS Tracktown USA, and a global mecca of Track and Field.

[Annie]

The American Council on Exercise suggests an ideal body fat percentage for a female athlete to between 14% and 20%. One female athlete at Oregon whose body fat was 16% was told she should consider lowering it to 13%.

Having too little body fat could impact muscle function and other body systems.

[Washington Waddler]

On 6/27/2022 at 7:43 AM, McDuck said:

Don't track athletes have access to "training tables" just like football players?

     Before the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex was built, T&F athletes were given meal compensation because the previous training table operation was to small to manage anything but team-oriented sports. As I remember from my days as a T&F volunteer, most of the athletes felt that what their compensation could purchase compared poorly with what was provided by the training table.

 

     At the H-D, this problem has disappeared because they’ve room to accommodate individual traffic.

[McDuck]

On 6/27/2022 at 8:32 AM, Washington Waddler said:

     Before the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex was built, T&F athletes were given meal compensation because the previous training table operation was to small to manage anything but team-oriented sports. As I remember from my days as a T&F volunteer, most of the athletes felt that what their compensation could purchase compared poorly with what was provided by the training table.

 

     At the H-D, this problem has disappeared because they’ve room to accommodate individual traffic.

Thank you.  Descriptions of the H-D mention both a dining area and a nutrition center.  I assume healthy food and guidance are readily available to all athletes?

 

The complex opened in 2013, seven years before the unnamed athlete sent her email to the AD.  I believe a responsible journalist should have mentioned that piece of information in his column.

[2002duck]

On 6/27/2022 at 8:08 AM, Annie said:

The American Council on Exercise suggests an ideal body fat percentage for a female athlete to between 14% and 20%. One female athlete at Oregon whose body fat was 16% was told she should consider lowering it to 13%.

Having too little body fat could impact muscle function and other body systems.

Well, when I look at most professional/college distance runners I think they're all much thinner and fragile than what a normal person should be, male or female. They're molded that way for a reason, and it's to get the fastest time possible. I personally have no problem with athletes sacrificing their bodies for the glory of victory, but I understand that's definitely not for everyone, and I think UO scouts should be telling recruits they will be periodically tested for biological metrics to get the fastest speeds. If the NCAA bans the practice then the UO can fall in line with the rules at that time.

[Duck 1972]

I'm sure The administration of sports medicine at the U of O know of what you cite. The key here is the emphasis of feeling. Thus the feeling of being shamed by the athletes. With that power it's almost impossible for an organization To function at top form.

[Bruce3404]

On 6/24/2022 at 5:02 AM, JDuck said:

He helped us become more of a sprint program but we won the Pac this year again both men and women, and then did WHAT at nationals?  We have WHAT for a facility?  Uncle WHO and WHAT company for top notch T&F exposure?  A company founded by a T&F athlete alum...did he have any say in this you think?

 

It does feel like it's time for a change

Of course Uncle Phil had a say and given his150 million + gift of an incredible stadium, why not?  Without Uncle Phil, we’re Corvallis 

[Bruce3404]

On 6/27/2022 at 8:04 AM, Notalot said:

There must be more to the personnel change than what shows up in this thread. I am confident in Rob Mullens, President Schill, and the inside circle of donors.

 

They have not been inclined to rash or arbitrary personnel actions.UO has solid and reliable administrstive leadership. I do not need to know all the details, and have confidence that the new coach will be very connected and qualified.

 

My view is that Oregon T&F should be tops by a confortable margin. Eugene IS Tracktown USA, and a global mecca of Track and Field.

I have zero confidence in the athletic department.  Long ago (Runge) they trashed women’s hoops, then later women’s softball, now track.  Took women’s hoops a decade plus to recover their misgivings (and I realize there are different leaders from Runge, but apparently the new aren’t looking at historical precedent).