https://www.12thmanfoundation.com/major-gifts/facility-projects/track.aspx

just made a donation to Track and Field

i encourage everyone who has chimed in here to do the same.

Buford T. Justice said:

---

I would hope that they have looked at some format of combining the track and field seating setup with soccer. It more bang for the buck, shared services, year round use. Either way, it's going to take a corporate naming gift to get it done. I'm surprised that Henry hasn't gotten Nike money.

---

Combining track and soccer would be terrible for both sports, that has never been considered.

redd38 said:

---

Buford T. Justice said:

---

I would hope that they have looked at some format of combining the track and field seating setup with soccer. It more bang for the buck, shared services, year round use. Either way, it's going to take a corporate naming gift to get it done. I'm surprised that Henry hasn't gotten Nike money.

---

Combining track and soccer would be terrible for both sports, that has never been considered.

---

It is very short sighted if it hasn't. The stubhub Center is an example of what I'm referring to. Not to that scale, but similar concept.

Buford T. Justice said:

---

redd38 said:

---

Buford T. Justice said:

---

I would hope that they have looked at some format of combining the track and field seating setup with soccer. It more bang for the buck, shared services, year round use. Either way, it's going to take a corporate naming gift to get it done. I'm surprised that Henry hasn't gotten Nike money.

---

Combining track and soccer would be terrible for both sports, that has never been considered.

---

It is very short sighted if it hasn't. The stubhub Center is an example of what I'm referring to. Not to that scale, but similar concept.

---

Stubhub Center doesn't appear to combine any track and field seating with soccer seating. Looks like all they share is a parking lot. Our soccer and track stadiums will share a parking lot also. The soccer field is already sharing bathroom facilities with the intermural fields that the track stadium is going to replace, so track fans could use that bathroom if they wanted, but it would be a long walk. It would be more reasonable (although still somewhat impractical) to share facilities with the new softball stadium, which will be closer than the soccer stadium. But any sharing beyond that doesn't make any sense. It would cost more money and produce a worse result for both sports. So not sure how that's being "short sighted".

• The funny part about the whole thing is, we have one of the top two indoor facilities in the country, us and Arkansas. Coach Sumlin lets us use the indoor football facility for warm-ups, which is very unique. We have won eight outdoor championships, and may have the worst outdoor track and field facilities in the country.

• I don't really know if the outdoor track and field facility is moving forward. There is a lot of talk, but there are no tractors moving, that's all I can tell you. If you're going to build a facility, you build it well. There is no question, we have the absolute worst facility win the SEC, we had the worst in the Big 12. We are somewhere in the process of getting it done, but I don't know when. We envisioned running a meet here in 2018, so I don't know.

Time to dig in and get this done.

Sounds like Pat is trying to leverage his way to a bigger deal at another school.

Sorry, but championships aside, when you're coaching the 8th most popular sport at your school, you don't have much negotiating power.

NoahAg said:

---

Sounds like Pat is trying to leverage his way to a bigger deal at another school.

Sorry, but championships aside, when you're coaching the 8th most popular sport at your school, you don't have much negotiating power.

---

He's just trying to get what has been promised to him. He doesn't like that he's been lied to, which in turn means he's lied to recruits when he tells them we're building an outdoor track. He's already at the top of the pay scale, so he has VERY limited options about where he can go and get more money. When he leaves us it will be for a school with better facilities, not a school with a better salary.

How could the BOR have approved the project if enough funds were not already in place to get started? Is it really a funding issue or just speculation? Getting a multi-million dollar project rolling at a state university is no simple task, especially when the land is already occupied. With a plan approved and the land cleared away, this means a lot has already been accomplished behind the scenes, yes?

fourth deck said:

---

Is it really a funding issue or just speculation?

---

I'm an official at track meets, so I hear things. Usually those things are true. Although hearing that the outdoor track was held up by funding was a surprise to me, so it could be something else causing the hold up. But as far as I've heard it's a money issue.

Our outdoor facility is absolute trash. I was shocked to find out we actually use that track.

Also, it's a travesty that we built those intramural fields so recently and will now be destroying them.

Our best coach doesn't have the support he needs to be successful.

cant believe its been 5 years or so since i was here complaining about Henry not getting the new track facility he was promisedand so patiently awaited.

what a travesty...,

Quote:

---

Sorry, but championships aside, when you're coaching the 8th most popular sport at your school, you don't have much negotiating power.

---

What a stupid comment. it's kind of hard to be a popular sport when the general public really has no place to see you compete.

Ragoo said:

---

just made a donation to Track and Field

i encourage everyone who has chimed in here to do the same.

---

I don't think I have chimed in yet, but thanks for posting the link. I will make a donation to the track program right now.

Ol Rock said:

---

Our best coach doesn't have the support he needs to be successful.

---

Yet, he's still successful!

Bunk Moreland said:

---

Give that man his money.... Err... His outdoor stadium

---

This.




...and fire Billy Kennedy.

AGnCS said:

---

Quote:

---

Sorry, but championships aside, when you're coaching the 8th most popular sport at your school, you don't have much negotiating power.

---

What a stupid comment. it's kind of hard to be a popular sport when the general public really has no place to see you compete.

---

It is the "8th" most popular sport at every school. I lived in Eugene for three years and I never heard anyone talk about their track program except right before and during the championship the year that they were hosting. I knew more about it than just about anyone and that was just due to reading the Other Sports forum on Texags. It isn't one of the more popular programs anywhere and it still won't be when we get our outdoor track built.

Also, we do have a track where you can see them compete. They just won the championship on that track. They had 7 meets there this year (not counting the championship) where the general public could see them compete.

No "give me a new facility or give me death" jokes?

The school has 13 NCAA titles, 9 of them have been in track. 5 of our 6 men's titles are in Track. The lone exception being a fluke win by the golf team in 2009.

He's the best coach in A&M history. It's not really much of a discussion.

Thank you, Pat

Hope Henry doesn't pull a BCG while waiting on construction hangups

http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Construction-begins-on-new-AM-softball--track-stadiums--416658493.html

Best coach at Texas A&M in the history of ever.

http://www.12thman.com/sports/2016/2/25/head-coaches.aspx

Just look at the accomplishments of the other coaches.... then there's Sumlin... wah wah wah

And they haven't even updated Steve or Pat's yet

PhatMack19 said:

---

He doesn't seem real happy with having the worst facility in the SEC. Hopefully they can get it done.

---

Is he signing his resignation letter?

Breaking news (ht to TexAgs user Aggie1 on baseball/softball forum.)

http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Construction-begins-on-new-AM-softball--track-stadiums--416658493.html

greg.w.h said:

---

Breaking news (ht to TexAgs user Aggie1 on baseball/softball forum.)

http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Construction-begins-on-new-AM-softball--track-stadiums--416658493.html

---

Uh, not that breaking, look like 4 posts up

Coaches matter

greg.w.h said:

---

Breaking news (ht to TexAgs user Aggie1 on baseball/softball forum.)

http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Construction-begins-on-new-AM-softball--track-stadiums--416658493.html

---

Fake news

Who the hell is the interviewer? How do you interrupt and laugh during a talk with this Coach who is obviously frustrated about this topic. I challenge TexAgs to go out and report just how awful that track is. I ran on it and my feet left an imprint. Grass growing on the track as well. It's horrible. Help our track team out and send Lexi out there with a camera.

Henry and Evans are the best coaches on campus. The fact that their teams have the worse facilities is baffling. How do either recruit?

2/7Marine0311 said:

---

Who the hell is the interviewer? How do you interrupt and laugh during a talk with this Coach who is obviously frustrated about this topic. I challenge TexAgs to go out and report just how awful that track is. I ran on it and my feet left an imprint. Grass growing on the track as well. It's horrible. Help our track team out and send Lexi out there with a camera.

---

Not sure what it would help at this point. Most know our existing facility is total crap. They are literally building a new one next door to it right now. Large building projects on campus have to go through a lot of hoops to get to this point. Hell even small plaques have to jump through some hoops before being allowed on campus. I hope Henry can have some more patience, but if he's publicly showing his frustration then it probably points towards some frustration/friction with our AD.

fourth deck said:

---

I hope Henry can have some more patience, but if he's publicly showing his frustration then it probably points towards some frustration/friction with our AD.

---

Henry has been extremely patient, should have been built years ago.

Spotted Ag said:

---

He is the Nick Saban of track and field.

---

This is definitely true. The dude's a winner, no question about it. And, just like Saban, everything revolves around that. My brother is a high school track coach in Louisiana with numerous state championships under his belt, and is very tied-in with the college coaching community. From what he's told me, Coach Henry expects his coaches and athletes to commit to victory above ALL else.

Seems to work...

I don't disagree that it should have been built years ago. If i recall, didn't Byrne give Henry the choice early after his hiring between an indoor facility and a new outdoor one? Not sure what sort of timeline was discussed for the new outdoor facility afterwards but I bet it went out the window with Byrne. Meanwhile we've had Hymen the paycheck collector and our current AD who is obviously not communicating with one of his best coaches. I still think it's great we're at the point construction has started and hope Henry sticks around to win a lot more titles in the new facility.