Alex is a former Tribe runner and W&M graduate

Alex Gibby is filling some pretty big shoes (and dreams) at William & Mary. The past two W&M Cross Country coaches have enjoyed success on the national stage. Alex is a former Tribe runner, a W&M graduate, and former W&M assistant coach from 1997-2000, who left to take a head coaching job at Division-I Stephen F. Austin in Texas, where he elevated the program rather rapidly. When Andy Gerard got the opportunity to return to Stanford, this time as Head Coach of the defending NCAA D1 Champs, it was an opportunity too good to pass up. The same thing happened for Gibby when he received a call from William & Mary Director of Track & Field Dan Stimson.

PennTrackXC.com talked with Gibby a few days before he took a "mixed" squad a few hours west in Virginia, narrowly finishing second to Duke (by three points) at the Lou Onesty Invitational at the University of Virginia. But anybody who knows the W&M philosophy knows it's November that counts.

Coaching Highlights: At Stephen F. Austin, Gibby brought the Lumberjack cross country squads to unprecedented levels of success. Under his guidance, the men's team won their first Southland Conference Championship in 2001, then repeated the feat in 2002. In 2002 Gibby also led the women's cross country squad to its first SLC Championship since 1990. One of Gibby's runners from each team also won the individual SLC title in 2002, the first sweep in conference history of all four titles. Gibby was honored as both the men's and women's cross country coach of the year by the SLC for guiding both his teams to such success.

1. What did you learn from both Walt Drenth (former W&M coach now at Arizona State) and Andy Gerard as both an athlete and coach?

Well, they're both completely different personalities with different approaches. Walt's more than likely to give you the tools and see what you do. Andy is more structured. I've drawn from both and some of my approach to training has evolved with my own experience as a head coach. But the philosophy is the same; just the application is different.

2. Was coaching a career path you decided on after graduation?

Actually, I went to grad school to get a Master's in history. Halfway through that I decided that academia was not for me. I looked at the CIA and FBI and was Andy's assistant after that. And it all came back to coaching. I enjoyed recruiting and everything about it. No matter what kind of day you're having, you get to head outside at 3 every day. But the best aspect is the competition. I like building, developing and testing something.

3. Did Walt Drenth recruit you as a high schooler?

No way. I was a 9:54, 4:32, 2:05 guy who had had a very good high school coach, Buz Male, who coached at Langley and UVA. Walt gave me an opportunity. Getting into this environment was great. It challenged me on a daily basis. The way Walt manages a team had an effect on me. And I have respect for Andy as a person and a coach. If it weren't for those experiences, I wouldn't have been drawn to the profession. I can't believe they pay you to do this.

NOTE: Gibby finished his college career with 29:54.30, 14:22, and 4:00.88 1500 PRs.

4. How has the team transition been?

It's been a fairly smooth transition. They have seen the patterns before. Andy did a lot work to make the transition easy, going over personnel and individual history. There are some personalities here. The better you get, the quirkier it seems you are.

5. How did the job offer come about?

After Vin announced he was leaving Stanford, it just seemed like Andy would be a natural fit since he had been so successful there and then here, and understood the nuances. The night Andy signed with Stanford (middle of July), Dan called and offered me the job. He waited patiently for three minutes then asked again. It was a no brainer professionally, personally and financially. Professionally, I'm going from building a program at Stephen F. Austin to one that's been to NCAA's six years in a row. W&M is one of the best small public schools in the US. I have a better budget. I can recruit a more ambitious athlete. Personally, I'm from Northern Virginia, so I'm close to friends, family and my alma mater. Financially it's just better, as well. I really enjoy being back here and recruiting for a strong academic institution. We have a natural draw in-state as a state school.

6. Now that the cross country season is underway, what kind of adjustments have your athletes had to make, if any, from last season?

They came back fit and prepared to move on. We have leadership, and good personalities who are enthusiastic. They are excited, ambitious and it is framed in a positive outlook. The guys want to be good. They know they have to buy what I am selling. It is very similar to what they have bought into in the past. The locker room is smooth.

7. When do you think is a good time for your athletes to taper down on their weekly mileage during the cross season?

That depends where we are aiming. We pick an end spot and back calculate. Some guys like long and some short tapers. Those who don't peak well, have to arrange to hit a short window. Some respond very well to rest. The measure of success is the athlete. They know what their bodies are feeling, so I can structure it to have them peak on the right day. No one responds the same way. The earlier part of the season is easier, the tricky part is when to start sharpening. The building and maintenance is easy. Aiming for regionals and nationals isn't. We have lots of respect for our conference. In '98 and '99 we lost conferences, and went 13th and 13th in the US. The team remembers 13th in the nation, not losing conferences.

8. Running for the Tribe from 1992 to 1997, what have you learned the most as a former student-athlete that helps your coaching style today?

It takes time. Especially with younger guys. You don't get the blue chip in droves. But you get enough of the right guys. With patient development and the right timing, we can be successful. I learned that if willing, an athlete can make up for lack of talent. Plus, talented guys who want to get the job done will succeed. Look how bad I was, then how good I became. It's patience, faith, and confidence. You have to ride out difficult times. It's a rough sport from the physical injury and mental perspectives. You get a lot of rocks thrown in the way.

9. What kind of team would you call William & Mary?

Blue collar. It takes a blue collar approach. If you are willing to spend time to develop, willing to put your head down and pay your dues, have a strong team environment who are very supportive of each other, you will succeed. No one will wait for upperclassmen, either. These are intelligent young men. They understand how things fit. They are very good problem solvers. They'll come in with solutions, and work with the coach. I guess you could say they are driven. intelligent, and motivated.

10. Do you think there should be more random drug testing at the NCAA level?

I don't know too much about that. It hasn't been an issue where I have been. As it gets more complex, they may need to look into that. Especially EPO, rumors I don't always believe.

11. Do you feel the current collegiate system is set up the right way in order for U.S. distance running to excel at the next level?

I do. The system is what it is. It is what you make of it. Lots of people criticize the conference, regional and national pressure of all three seasons, and say it restricts long term development. With lots of racing, they say it restricts summer opportunities. As I said, it is what you make of it. No law says you have to race every race. Matt Lane drove that home. With Matt, Andy chose moments. He ran just four races in cross and three indoor. Be patient. Race sparingly. People get too wrapped up trying to force a structure. No one says you have to peak indoor. No one says you have to be ready for the Stanford Invitational. People are a slave to the system. Andy was good on being aware of that. Bryan Hyde (former All-American and Olympian from W&M) skipped NCAAs because of a nagging injury. He waited for the Olympic Trials and made the team (1996 in the 1500). Pay attention to individual development. It's a system where racing opportunities. are abundant. Use them when you want. It gives you exposure to time trial and championship racing, and those teach valuable lessons in a supportive, nurturing environment.

12. How tough was it to leave your Stephen F. Austin team?

I enjoyed Texas. It was a great learning experience. The girls took my leaving harder than the guys. They were just getting to the point with all my kids running under my system. We had some good returners. They hired a good coach.

13. How was your first experience back at W&M?

I got here on August 11th and the first week of camp it was 100 degrees and humid. The guys were complaining and I told them this was nothing in Texas, so get out there and run.

14. How much did you lose from last season?

We lost two from the NCAA squad, John O'Connor and West Garrett. We have Ed Moran, a three-time All American, returning, plus Matt Maline, who was red-shirted. We are young. The guys in the varsity mix all have two years left here. We will run a mixed squad at UVA. Some kids are sick.

15. What's your outlook for this season?

If 18 teams run well at NC's, we will be 19th. But if only 8 teams run well, we'll be 9th. We will focus on what we do well and not worry about other teams. We need to run well. We control what we can control.