UCLA Change is Overdue

For 28 years, UCLA has had one thing that no other program could match: Art Venegas.  A throws guru, a rousing speaker, and a fierce competitor, Art Venegas built up a throws program at UCLA that has gone unmatched by any school in NCAA history.  His throwers won 33 individual NCAA titles, set four collegiate records, and earned a staggering 178 All-American honors.  And that's just what they did in school.

Even more interesting to me has always been Venegas's involvement in developing UCLAs amazing sprints and multis program back in the '80s.  John Smith was designing the workouts on the track, but it was Venegas who developed the strength routines for some of the greatest athletes in UCLA, NCAA, and USA history.  For ten years he developed the weight training program and coached Jackie Joyner-Kersee--aka greatest women athlete of the 20th century--in the throws.  He also designed the strength workouts for all of the Bruins best sprinters, including Gail Devers, Ato Bolden, Kevin Young, Steve Lewis, and Mike Marsh.

Yet while his success spanned genders and events, his brilliance was truly manifested in the shot put.  Venegas is perhaps the world's leading expert in the rotational shot put--the spin method--and has given lectures and workshops across the world on the topic.  Of the 28 years he coached at UCLA, the Bruins scored in the men's shot put at an NCAA Indoor or Outdoor Championships meet in all but five years.  On the women's side his success was even more remarkable.  Bruin women shot putters have scored in the top four at all but four NCAA meets. 

All of the above is highlighted in his UCLA bio.  What isn't said is that throughout his tenure he achieved this success by developing homegrown talent.  This is in stark contrast to a number of other throws powerhouses, including his crosstown rival Trojans, where Eastern Europeans are often brought in to clean up the points at the NCAA level.  There's nothing wrong with that approach.  But developing throwers requires a different skill, and Art Venegas flat out knows how to develop throwers.

The man is a hall-of-famer.  He brought hall-of-fame passion, hall-of-fame knowledge, and hall-of-fame results to UCLA for 28 years.  Which is why it's so hard to say publicly that the coaching change announced today is many years overdue.

But it's true.  Art Venegas was cut out to be a throws coach, not a head coach.  Despite his technical mastery and visionary ideas--some of the most thought-provoking conversations I've ever had about the sport were had with Venegas while we waited to board a flight to or from a meet--the root cause of UCLA's demise as a track powerhouse has been a lack of organizational discipline under his watch.  It's the reason UCLA has won just one Pac-10 title in Venegas's ten years.  It's a case of sloppy execution, of resting on one's laurels, neglecting administrative details and failing to create an environment in which coaches and athletes can excel.

It's been seven years since I saw firsthand how the program is run.  But I do stay in the loop, and I do know people who are still involved with the program.  When athletes roll their eyes in resignation, when assistants don't know what's going on, when meet directors are grumbling about sloppy entries, when travel plans are made at the last minute and when prima donna athletes (*ahem* Keven Craddock) are allowed to call the shots, the result is a program that slowly falls apart at its seams.

A track team is a complex organization, and its seams must be constantly tended.  That means the head coach of a program can't be just a coach; they have to be equal parts administrator, too.  On top of their coaching, they need to be working long hours recruiting, organizing travel plans, coordinating meets, and ensuring their coaches are working in an environment in which they can excel.  Even more importantly, they need to articulate a plan for achieving success and then systematically execute according to that plan.  Art Venegas has the coaching part nailed, but in my two years training in his program I never got the impression that he excelled at any of the administrative roles he was tasked with as head coach.  And from what I hear it's only gotten worse over time.

The result was a team that lurched along without a plan, a philosophy, or a prayer.  You saw it in UCLA's recruiting, coaching, and performances.  Where did UCLA plan to excel?  Apparently wherever they could get guys to come.  One year it was distance, the next hurdles and throws.  Coaches were pushed around by athletes and parents, and in some cases, phoning in workouts.  And ultimately, a team known for executing in the big meets became a team that dropped batons, failed to qualify out of semifinal heats, and historically underperformed.  It wasn't all Venegas's fault, but it started there.

I don't know what UCLA is going to do next.  I assume they'll take this opportunity to merge the two programs completely (which would make long-term sense both financially and managerially) but a lot of that depends on how Jeanette Bolden fits in their plans.  They could hire a heavy hitter from another program, or they could promote a long-time coach like Anthony Curran to the head position.  Whatever they choose to do, they need to find someone ready to step into the job and tackle it the old-fashioned way.  With a dogged work ethic and exceptional administrative skills.  I honestly don't know that anyone on the current staff fits the criteria.

As for Coach Venegas, I hope he uses this as an opportunity.  If he is still driven and motivated to coach at the college level, I hope this invigorates him and he goes on to have much success.  If he decides to focus on just coaching elites, I hope his athletes thrive and he continues to have success.  But most of all, I hope the manner in which he is leaving UCLA doesn't affect the way he views the program.  He is a huge reason why UCLA has been the most accomplished program in NCAA history.  He leaves a legacy that is unsurpassed and shoes that will likely never be filled.  I and every Bruin owe him a debt of gratitude for his service.
 

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Bryan ran cross country and track and field for UCLA, as well for Japanese ekiden teams while living in Japan. He now pretends to be a runner (mostly on weekends) and a writer (mostly after running). Check out his popular running blog Optimal Training and his distance running lenses at Buraian's Lensography . He welcomes your feedback via comment or email at buraian@lifeofburaian.com