KYTrackXC.com
Coaches Corner
Brent Ericksen
Morehead State University (KY)
By: Mark Rowe (Boys CC Coach, Owensboro High School) and Dan Chelstrom (Asst. CC, T&F Coach, Morehead State University)
Coach Brent Ericksenis the new Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at Morehead State University. In his twenty-two years of coaching he has won a pair of national championships, coached in the Olympic Games, guided athletes to 141 All-American honors, and directed teams to numerous top 10 national championship finishes.
KYTrackXC.com recently sat down with Coach Ericksen to chat about everything from his background, winning national titles, and philosophies on coaching.
KYTXC: What is your present position? How long have you been at your school? Where else have you coached at?
BE: I am the new Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track Coach at Morehead State University and I have only been here for 8 weeks! I have 22 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level. I have been fortunate enough to have coached at every level of NCAA Division I, II, and III, as well as the NAIA.
KYTXC: What’s your background in the sport? Where did you compete at as a prep and collegian?
BE: I am the son of a coach, so coaching has been in my blood a long time. I grew up in the high desert of Southern California and ran at Apple Valley High School and then at California State University Stanislaus.
KYTXC: You coached in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Tell us a bit about that experience.
BE: In 2004, I served on the staff of the Estonian Olympic Team. The Estonians are mostly known for their throwers and multi-eventers but I had coached their first runner to qualify for the Olympics since World War II and was invited by their Olympic Committee to be a member of their coaching staff. It was an incredible experience to get to go to Greece and be a part of their staff. We held a pre-olympic camp on the Aegean Sea with workouts twice a day at a local facility there, before moving closer to Athens just before the games. It was great going to both morning and evening sessions each day at the stadium and really just a wonderful experience.
KYTXC: You are one of the few coaches to win national titles in multiple sports and at different levels. Share some insight with us about those championships.
BE: In one word – Incredible. Anybody who thinks it is easy to win a national championship on any level hasn’t done it. Whether its high school, NAIA or NCAA it takes a lot of hard work and a special team and I was fortunate to accomplish it once in Track and Field and once in Cross Country. That I did it at separate universities, in different sports, is probably what I think is most special.
The first one was at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse and we won the outdoor track national championship after finishing as national runner-up indoors. We ended up setting a NCAA National Championship record for largest margin of victory when we won the national meet by 65 points.
The national championship we won at Southern Oregon is probably the one I am most proud of because it was three years in the making and the program had so far to go. I took over a program that was picked to finish fourth in conference and we ended up finishing 4th, 3rd and 1st nationally in the three years I was there with the men. The women only had two girls on the team when I took over that first year, and finished 7th in the nation two years later to join with the men’s team in winning a Combined Team National Title as well.
KYTXC: What are some of the other achievements (both individual honors and team places) that your squads have achieved?
BE: I had teams at Texas A&M Kingsville place in the top 10 nationally at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships five times in the six years I was there. I coached individual national champions in both the 400 and 1600m relays, the 110h and the indoor 60m dash. Lashawndra Ratcliff set a national record at the time in the 60m. Further back in time, while I was an assistant at Marquette University, we won 7 Conference USA Championships during my time there. I have helped athletes attain All-American status 141 times in my career. It’s been a lot of fun.
KYTXC: What is your coaching philosophy towards coaching distance runners? How has it changed over the years?
BE: First and foremost, I expect our runners to get better each year so I have to be better each year. In the most basic terms, I believe now more than ever a distance runner needs to put in the correct amount of mileage, at the correct pace, just as a sprinter needs to do the correct volume of sprint work. Early in my coaching career, I wanted to do and try all these different bike and pool workouts and an assortment of other auxiliary things that are fine for maintenance but not for performance. Training at the correct pace for each individual athlete every day, based on what physiological system you are trying to develop that day, is what leads to success. Non-specific training leads to non-specific results and it is something I have moved very far away from.
KYTXC: Earlier in your career, as an assistant coach, you worked with a variety of head coaches. Who do you consider to be mentors in your career?
BE: I was fortunate to start my coaching career working for or with three different Head US Olympic Track coaches so I couldn’t have asked for better teachers as a young coach. They each had their own way of doing things and I tried to take what I thought was the best of each and develop my own training philosophy and methodology.
Without a doubt, Brooks Johnson is the coach that had the biggest influence on me. He is one of the smartest men I know and has a passion for the sport that is unbelievable. I learned something new from him each day. He was tough but fair and I appreciated how well he treated me as a young coach learning the game. Kelly Sullivan at Oregon State and Mike Turk at Illinois are two others that have inspired me and I have a great amount of respect for.
KYTXC: Kentucky has a well-established organization of elementary, middle school, and high school cross country programs. What advice do you have for athletes that are looking to get into distance running?
BE: Listen to your coaches. Be consistent and progressive with your training. Have Fun!
KYTXC: What do you feel is the most difficult part of coaching cross country and track and field?
BE: That’s easy. The number of events in track and field. I have coached at one time or another every event and I can tell you each one is extremely complex in its own way. The other thing is that there is no off-season for us. As soon as track is over you are right back into planning your prep phase for cross country. It’s a continuous cycle.
KYTXC: One comment many high school runners make as they transition to the college ranks is that there can be less of a bond with and guidance from their coaches. How do you give your collegiate athletes the attention they need?
BE: It can be hard to replace the bond that HS coaches have especially in a state like Kentucky, where an athlete may have competed for that coach for 6 years. That is something very special that can be hard to replace.
I think one of the biggest mistakes a college coach can make is not providing the guidance necessary to help their athletes achieve success. I think there is a need for more guidance not less at this level. There is no room for error in college if you want to be successful and get the most out of your athletes training and performance. You have to be on the same page with them and they have to believe in you.
One of the things I do is meet individually with each of our distance runners once a week to go over the training log that they must keep. We talk about running, training, racing, academics, or anything else they or I want or need to talk about. We also have captains meetings each week to make sure their groups are doing well. From a practice standpoint, I am with them 6 days a week. I don’t just meet them two days a week and post workouts on a board for the athletes to do on their own as some college coaches do. It’s just not how I believe in doing things.
KYTXC: Tell us a little about Morehead State. What does the school have to offer?
BE: What doesn’t it have to offer? NCAA Division I level competition. We have hills, dirt and bark paths, and over 300 miles of trails. We have over 10,000 students and it is a University that is growing. It is one of only 5 schools in the country to have a space science program. Our pre-med program has the highest acceptance rate into medical school of any program in the state. We have a new Athletic Academic center for our student-athletes to study in and a brand new 24 million dollar recreation center. It really is an exciting time to be an Eagle!
KYTXC: Coaches and athletes are alike when they choose to go to a school to coach or run. What drew you to Morehead State? Why would athletes want to run there?
BE: Certainly for all the things I mentioned previously. Plus, for me, I have won national championships at other levels and had been an assistant coach at the Division I level before and I wanted the opportunity and challenge of being a head coach at the Division I level. For a coach or an athlete, there is nothing more exciting than being part of turning around a program. As an athlete looking for somewhere to run, you could not find a better training environment. We have everything a distance runner needs to be successful!
KYTXC: What’s a typical Morehead State practice consist of in cross-country? Pretend I transferred into the program over the summer. What would I be getting myself into?
BE: You would be getting yourself into a very structured program. From warm up to warm down there is plan and a reason behind it. We have a protocol in place that includes: both static and dynamic flexibility, hydration and refueling, daily recovery (elevation, rolling, message, and ice baths), strength training, a nutrition manual, etc… You would have and know the exact pace for each run or workout you do. We don’t want to waste time guessing if we are training the correct energy system or not. Also, based on training age and previous experience, you may or may not be doing up to four doubles a week. This means that within the team concept, everyone ends up having a different mileage plan that I feel is right for them and that they are ready for.
A sample training week, without getting into specific volume and rest ratios, might generally look like this:
Sunday: Long easy run @70% of vo2 max pace
Monday: Mod. long run @ 75% of vo2 max + pure speed/technique (60m or less)
Tuesday: Intervals @ 97-100% of vo2 max w/ short recoveries
Wednesday: Short easy run @ 70% (recovery day)
Thursday: Anaerobic Threshold pace @85% of vo2 max (AT)
Friday: Pre-race (run course)
Sat: Race Day
KYTXC: As you work to establish a new tradition at Morehead State, what are your immediate and long term goals for the cross country and track and field programs?
BE: Our immediate goals are to recruit Division I level student-athletes and then recruit some more, while making sure each of the athletes we currently have here personally improve. We next need to get cross country and the distance side of track competing like it should and we need to operate like a Division I program. Some of that is beginning to happen now; including travel, new uniforms and gear, scheduling, locker rooms, etc…
Long term, I think our future is very exciting! We have an administration that is very supportive and wants to see cross country and track succeed here. I believe our athletic director is committed to getting us a new track facility within three years. We live in an area that is an incredible place to train and we have a staff that is committed to putting the time and energy necessary to make it successful.
KYTXC: What insight do you have for high school athletes that are looking to continue their careers at the college level?
BE: Look for a program that improves ALL of their runners and find the fit that is right for you, not the one you think your friends will be the most impressed with. There is a program and a level out there that is right for you. Don’t stop running!
KYTXC: Coach, what are some of your hobbies outside of the sport?
BE: I’m a bit of a sad case… This really is what I do and what I love. When I do have some down time, I’m probably watching a game on TV.
KYTXC: What do you think of Kentucky thus far?
BE: Love it!
KYTXC: Do you have a social media site we can follow to keep up with the MSU Eagles?
BE: You can follow me at twitter.com/CoachEricksen, but I think the best way to keep up with us is still on our web site at www.MSUEagles.com.
KYTXC: Do you have anything else you would like to add or say to the KYTrackXC.com audience?
BE: Thanks for the opportunity to talk about Morehead State. I hope everyone out there gives us a fresh look. I think you’ll be surprised.