Warhurst content in the shadows

If life were fair, Ron Warhurst would have his own shoe endorsement deal.

On Sunday mornings, the long time coach of the Michigan men's cross country team would appear on "the Ron Warhurst show" with some oafish-looking sidekick running tape of the previous day's meet.

The man at the helm of the Wolverines for the last 26 years would hold press conferences after every meet and thumb his nose at reporters who didn't ask the right questions.

Unfortunately, cross country probably won't garner that type of publicity anytime in the near future.

"The 100,000 people who fill the stadium on Saturdays aren't doing it to watch the cross country team," Warhurst said with a laugh. "They want to see Tom Brady run the football."

So if you somehow forgot to attend every cross country meet this year, here's what you might have missed - the Wolverines are enjoying an improbably successful season, due in large part to the job done by Warhurst.

Each runner, from the first to the fifth, is enjoying the best season of their careers. Ask them and they'll give you similar answers.

"Ron knows how to get the most out of everybody's potential," Tom Caughlin said. "He doesn't use a uniform template - he plays off of everybody's individual personalities."

Part of the reason for Warhurst's success lies within his personality. The crafty General has a joke for runners, coaches, parents and even reporters when they dare to venture to close.

"He's a fun guy to be around on trips," senior co-captain Steve Lawrence said. "A lot of coaches, they're there for their job - they work nine to five and that's it.

"Ron loves his job, he doesn't hold back his personality and time doesn't dictate the way he does things."

Neither do people. On trips runners are responsible for their per diem as well as their tickets.

And tardiness is not tolerated.

"I have left kids behind on trips before," Warhurst said "No one person is going to dictate what the rest of the team does."

Warhurst credits this mentality to his tour of duty in Vietnam. The ex-marine served from 1968-70 and earned two purple hearts during that time.

"If one guy messes up in a firefight, six guys could die. One person does not take precedence.

"You go with the flow."

On Sunday night, the Wolverines will nervously mull over their performances in the NCAA final meet the next day.

This is where Warhurst is at his best.

"Sometimes we go out to eat the night before a meet and we'll pass another team - they'll be sitting with their coach and they don't look like their having very much fun," Caughlin said. "Ron knows how to keep things fun and loose - other coaches can't figure out what his secret is."

Warhurst's spirited approach is as much a testament to his coaching ability as it is to his personality.

"A lot of kids just get emotionally whacked out before meets," Warhurst said. "You can't just grab them and tell them what they need to do - you want them to want to be there."

An approach that has worked for the first 26 years.

11-19-99