QA₂ Max PODCAST: Wisconsin Director of T&F/XC Mick Byrne

NEW ORLEANS – November is already a sleepless time of year for most distance coaches trying to get to the Big Dance.  But this fall must be a particularly snooze-free one for Wisconsin’s Mick Byrne, who’s piloting a No. 6 Badger squad that has six freshmen and sophomores in its top seven.

The Irish native can fall back on three decades of elite head-coaching experience.  Byrne coached at Iona for 24 years, taking the Gaels to seven top-10 NCAA finishes and four podiums.  When Jerry Schumacher left Madison to be Alberto Salazar’s assistant in 2008, Byrne left the comforts of New York and the MAAC for the harsh reality of the Big Ten.

On today’s QA2Max, Byrne breaks down where his teams are headed, gives big credit to Jill Miller for the resurgence of the women’s program in Madison, and talks about the pressures and joys of coaching at Wisconsin.  In typical fashion, he was also unafraid to speak his mind about rules changes looming on the horizon.

Steam the podcast above, or subscribe to QA2Max on iTunes.