Interview with Don Weber, May 1, 2019

Partial Transcript: Well we're here with Don Weber and, Don, 2019 Hall of Famer and you're back for a second interview.

Segment Synopsis: Don Weber discusses Rondel Sorrillo as an athlete. He talks about issues with Sorrillo's international transfer process, how Aaron Tucker successfully recruited Sorrillo, and Sorrillo's personality and accomplishments.

Keywords: 200-meter relays; Academic credit; International students; NCAA champions; NCAA championships; National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); Olympians; Olympic athletes; Personalities; Recruitment processes; Rondel Sorrillo; School transfers; Transfer processes; Trinidad and Tobago

Subjects: College athletes; College athletes--Recruiting; College choice; College credits; College sports--Kentucky; College sports--Scouting; College sports.; College students--Attitudes.; Communication.; National Collegiate Athletic Association; Scouting (Athletics); Track and field athletes.; Track and field.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History; Work ethic.

Partial Transcript: Another guy who came along late in your career was Rashaud Scott.

Segment Synopsis: Weber discusses Rashaud Scott as an athlete. He talks about Rashaud's recruitment, accomplishments, and work ethic. He talks about the pressure of throws for the discus event at track meets.

Keywords: Arizona; Athletic mentalities; Competitive attitudes; Competitive mentalities; Discus champions; Discus throws; Doug Reynolds; Interpersonal connections; Junior colleges; NCAA champions; NCAA championships; National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); Networking; Performance pressures; Pressure; Professional connections; Rashaud Scott; Throw coaches; Training approaches

Subjects: Coaches (Athletics); College athletes; College athletes--Recruiting; College sports--Kentucky; College sports--Scouting; College sports.; College students--Attitudes.; Discus throwing; National Collegiate Athletic Association; Scouting (Athletics); Track and field athletes.; Track and field--Coaching; Track and field.; Training.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History; Work ethic.

Partial Transcript: Well you know, I was going to ask you about Mike Buncic because he was here when you were an assistant, right?

Segment Synopsis: Weber discusses Mike Buncic as an athlete. He talks about Buncic's accomplishments, work ethic, and ability to self-coach to athletic success given Buncic's limited coaching access at the University of Kentucky.

Keywords: Assistant coaches; Athletic passion; Athletic talent; Career moves; Coaching expertise; Collegiate record holders; Conditioning; Confidence; Discus; Discus throwers; Graduate assistants; Mike Buncic; Olympians; Olympic athletes; Passions; Pat Etcheberry; Record holders; SEC champions; SEC championships; Self-coaching; Self-confidence; Southeastern Conference (SEC); Student trainers; Teachers

Subjects: Coaching (Athletics); College athletes; College sports--Coaching; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; College students--Attitudes.; Discus throwing; Shot putting; Shot putting--Training; Shot-putters; Track and field athletes.; Track and field--Coaching; Track and field.; Training.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History; Work ethic.

Partial Transcript: You know, one runner I thought, I thought we missed, uh, really didn't talk about was Lisa Breiding.

Segment Synopsis: Weber discusses Lisa Breiding as an athlete. He talks about Breiding's accomplishments, work ethic, and tremendous athletic growth from high school through college. He tells stories of Breiding's unprecedented wins.

Keywords: Adaptability; Athletic growth; High school athletes; Lisa Breiding; Lisa Breiding Duerr; Middle-distance runners; NCAA champions; NCAA championships; National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); Perseverance; Personal growth; Personal improvements; Race strategies; SEC champions; SEC championships; Southeastern Conference (SEC); Strategizing; Women in sports

Subjects: College athletes; College athletes--Recruiting; College sports for women; College sports--Kentucky; College sports--Scouting; College sports.; Cross-country runners; Cross-country running; National Collegiate Athletic Association; Scouting (Athletics); Southeastern Conference; Track and field athletes.; Track and field.; Training.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History

Partial Transcript: Well, that '85 team that finished fourth in the nation in cross country was a bunch of freshman and some, some returning athletes that weren't, uh, had accomplished much at that point.

Segment Synopsis: Weber discusses the 1985 women's cross country team at UK that finished at a shocking fourth in the nation. He recalls what it was like to watch the team run a four-by-eight relay.

Keywords: "New Kids on the Block"; 4 by 8 relays; College freshmen; Four-by-eight relays; NCAA Championships; NCAA champions; National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); Personal records; Splits; Team records; Track meets; Track records; Villanova University; Women in sports

Subjects: College athletes; College sports for women.; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Cross-country runners; Cross-country running; National Collegiate Athletic Association; Track and field athletes.; Track and field.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History

Partial Transcript: Well, who did we not talk about?

Segment Synopsis: Weber tells a story about Bob Whelan preparing for the NCAA Indoors meet. He talks about Whelan and Valerie McGovern's personalities and work ethic in regards to track and field.

Keywords: Bob Whelan; Coaching philosophies; Commitment; Competition; Competitive attitudes; Competitive mentalities; Dedication; Indoor track and field; NCAA Indoors; National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); Persistence; Personalities; Race analyses; Race strategies; Self-confidence; Track events; Track meets; Valerie McGovern

Subjects: Coaches (Athletics); College athletes; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; College students--Attitudes.; National Collegiate Athletic Association; Track and field athletes.; Track and field--Coaching; Track and field.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History; Work ethic.

Partial Transcript: You know when I was coaching, I had, uh, you, you know, I had some players who didn't, didn't win, didn't qualify for the NCAA's, didn't, didn't win, you know, big.

Segment Synopsis: Weber talks about the types of athletes he has a lot of respect for. He talks about his respect and admiration for UK track athletes. He tells a story that he told his athletes that encapsulates some of his coaching philosophies.

Keywords: Athletic progress; Business mentalities; Coaching philosophies; College athletes--Recruiting; Dedication; Investments; Mentors; Mentorship; Papa John's; Papa John's International, Inc.; Personal development; Personal growth; Personal improvement; Personal progress; Philosophies; Progress; Student athletes

Subjects: Coaching (Athletics); College athletes; College sports--Coaching; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Track and field athletes.; Track and field--Coaching; Track and field.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History; Work ethic.

Partial Transcript: Well I, I, I got to talk about this one guy, uh, Josh Nadzam, who, who came here as a walk-on and he came to Kentucky basically because he wrote a lot of schools.

Segment Synopsis: Weber discusses Josh Nadzam as an athlete. He talks about Nadzam's high school athletic career, how he came to UK, his running style, and athletic accomplishments. He also talks about Nadzam's social work studies, academic performance, and Nadzam starting Soles4Souls with another student athlete, Luis Orta.

Keywords: Academic opportunities; Athletic adjustments; Athletic opportunities; Career motivations; Dedication; Indoor track and field; Josh Nadzam; Luis Orta; Motivations; NCAA Championships; NCAA Indoors; National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); Personal records; Racing strategies; Racing styles; Racing tactics; Running styles; Soles4Souls; Student athletes; Training adjustments; Walk-on students; Walk-ons

Subjects: College athletes; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; High school athletes; National Collegiate Athletic Association; Social Work.; Social work education & practice; Social work education.; Track and field athletes.; Track and field.; Training.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History; Work ethic.

Partial Transcript: Well, let's talk about the evolution of the program in, in another way.

Segment Synopsis: Weber describes participating in and witnessing the development of outdoor and indoor track facilities at UK. He discusses project costs, conflicts, coach contributions, what the facilities used for, and how the facilities impacted UK's entire athletics department. He compares old track facilities with the new ones on campus.

Keywords: Aaron Tucker; C. M. Newton; Construction; Construction costs; Contracts; Disc cages; Discus cages; Doug Reynolds; Event organization; Event organizers; Field events; Hammer cages; Host schools; Hosting meets; Indoor tracks; Kentucky Relays; Mitch Barnhart; Outdoor tracks; SEC meets; Southeastern Conference (SEC); Tobacco warehouses; Track centers; Track events; Track facilities; Track meets

Subjects: Coaches (Athletics); College athletes; College buildings.; College facilities--Planning.; College facilities.; College sports--Economic aspects--United States.; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Program budgeting.; Southeastern Conference; Track and field athletes.; Track and field--Coaching; Track and field.; Training.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History; University towns

Partial Transcript: You know, I know Nike is such a huge part of the track community.

Segment Synopsis: Weber talks about how a school-wide partnership with Nike helped UK's track and field program financially. He recalls his reaction to then-UK Athletic Director C. M. Newton's proposal to cut indoor track for the athletic department's budget and how Newton, Weber, and other faculty worked to prevent this from happening.

Keywords: Budget cuts; Budget proposals; Budget relief; C. M. Newton; Company partnerships; Competition gear; Equipment budgets; Gender equity; Hurdles; Hurdling; National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); Pole vaulting; Practice gear; Program development; Program expansion; Running shoes; Southeastern Conference (SEC); Track shoes; Training gear; University contracts; University partnerships

Subjects: Athletic directors.; College sports--Economic aspects--United States; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; National Collegiate Athletic Association; Nike (Firm); Program budgeting.; Southeastern Conference; Track and field athletes.; Track and field.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History

Partial Transcript: Well, you know, one of the things that I wanted to ask you about here as we, as we finish up is you, you worked for several different athletic directors and you've talked a little bit about them but, uh, you know, kind of what, what I'd like for you to do is talk about Cliff Hagan and maybe a story about Cliff Hagan that, that relates you other than hiring.

Segment Synopsis: Weber talks about his impressions of former UK Athletic Director, Cliff Hagan. He recalls an interaction with Hagan.

Keywords: Administrative staff; Cliff Hagan; Dealer cars; Larry Ivy; Memorial Coliseum (Lexington, Ky.); Office spaces; Offices; Pat Etcheberry; Professional interactions; Program development; Program interest; Sports clinics; Student trainers; Trainers; UK Sports Medicine; Work interactions

Subjects: Athletic directors; College department heads; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Interpersonal relations.; Professional relations.; Sports medicine and health science; Sports medicine for coaches and athletes; Sports medicine.; Track and field.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History

Partial Transcript: Well, the next person sort of that you worked with over a period of time would've been C. M.

Segment Synopsis: Weber talks about his impressions of, relationships with, and interactions with former UK Athletic Director C. M. Newton and former UK football coach Bill Curry. He talks about how Curry was instrumental in developing UK's sprint program.

Keywords: Astroturf; C. M. Newton; Company partnerships; Contract breaches; Contracts; Daryl Anderson; Flooring; Football; Football programs; Lawsuits; MONDO; Mondotrack; Nutter Field House (Lexington, Ky.); Program development; Program expansion; Running tracks; Salesmen; Sports travel; Sprint programs; Team travel; Track surfaces; Tracks; Travel.

Subjects: Athletic directors; Coaches (Athletics); College department heads; College sports--Coaching; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Curry, Bill, 1942-; Football coaches; Professional relations.; Sprinting; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History; Wounds and injuries.

Partial Transcript: Okay, last, last guy--Mitch Barnhart.

Segment Synopsis: Weber describes his relationship with current UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart. Weber talks about all the changes and improvements Barnhart has made to UK Athletics across the board. He talks about Barnhart's huge impact on the university and Lexington.

Keywords: Athletic programs; Attitudes; Care; College presidents; Economic impacts; Financial analyses; Financial support; Larry Ivy; Lee T. Todd, Jr.; Lee Todd, Jr.; Mitch Barnhart; National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); Personalities; Program development; Program expansion; Representation; Rob Mullins; University presidents; Voices; Work relationships

Subjects: Athletic directors; Athletic directors--United States; Coaches (Athletics); College department heads; College sports--Economic aspects--United States; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Interpersonal relations.; National Collegiate Athletic Association; Professional relations.; Program budgeting.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Sports--History; University towns