Mike Smith: From NAU to the Swoosh TC | Episode 23

Sarah Lorge Butler talks to Mike Smith about his transition from coaching cross country and track & field at Northern Arizona University to coaching Nike's Swoosh TC Flagstaff hub. 

Mike discusses his decision to leave NAU, work-life balance in coaching, how building a pro team is different from building a college team, the impact of NIL and the transfer portal on collegiate running, and much more.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:04 On leaving NAU and skipping NCAA XC this year
• 8:05 Does he have better balance in his life now?
• 9:25 The Swoosh TC setup and who he's coaching
• 13:57 On learning how to be a pro runner
• 18:50 Team culture in college vs. the pros
• 25:02 How his wife, Rachel Smith, is doing, seven months postpartum
• 28:02 On athletes who excel—and those who don't—at the NCAA XC Championships
• 30:20 The impact of NIL and the transfer portal on collegiate running
• 32:00 On restoring some balance and making time to work out