Kentucky lures Tyson away
Pat Tyson is on the move again. This time he’s going to Kentucky.
A year removed from coaching his alma mater, NCAA champion Oregon’s distance runners, then returning to coach Mead cross country to second in state last fall, Tyson will coach Wildcats men and women cross country and distance runners.
“We’re going to miss him,” said Mead activities coordinator Dick Cullen on Wednesday. “How do you replace a legend? He felt the time was right and it’s exciting for him, but we’re sad he’s leaving.”
In 20 years at Mead, Tyson compiled a 145-6 dual meet cross country record and 18 top-three state trophies. The Panthers won 12 state titles – including nine in a row from 1988-96 – and finished second four times.
His runners won 26 individual distance championships in cross country and track and field combined. Panthers teams were third and fourth in the Nike Team Nationals the last two years and his nine Footlocker Nationals individual qualifiers ties for second most of any U.S. high school program.
But, when he returned to high school last fall after his brief flirtation in Oregon, Tyson said that he still believed his system would work in college and entertained the thought of another such adventure.
In Kentucky, he gets that chance.
“You’ve been teaching 33 years in the Washington system, you’re 56 years old and somebody wants you,” he said. “Everyone said, ‘What an opportunity, you’ve got to do this thing.’ I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Tyson said he’ll take the job year to year and if he falls in love with Lexington he could spend the rest of his career there. If he misses his native Northwest, he said he could return and look for something else.
Kentucky track coach Don Weber said he is looking forward to working with Tyson.
“Pat comes from one of the richest traditions of distance running in the country. Oregon is to college track and field and cross country as Kentucky is to college basketball,” said Weber in a school news release. “He has a great rapport with young athletes and will be an outstanding recruiter. We feel Pat will be a perfect fit here at Kentucky.”
Cullen said he is hopeful a replacement will be named by next week.
Mead hires soccer coach
Jason Johnson becomes the third girls soccer coach in as many years for Mead.
He replaces Chris Allen, who has moved back to the St. Louis area. Allen also was boys coach at Gonzaga Prep.
Johnson has been an assistant coach in the Panthers program and was recently hired as a middle school teacher in the district, Cullen said.