Ricardo Santos was hired to replace longtime coach Mick Byrne as the men’s and women’s cross country and track-and-field head coach last month after Byrne left to lead Wisconsin. Santos, an Iona College alum, served as a part-time assistant coach at Iona for four years after graduating. He was an assistant coach at Harvard University until returning to Iona. As an athlete, Santos was a part of four straight MAAC cross country championship teams, earning two individual titles.
Santos takes over for Byrne, who essentially built the Iona running program. The Gaels finished second in the NCAA championships last year. ArmoryTrack.com caught up with Santos for a quick interview in the first edition of Coaches' Corner.
AT: It seemed like everything happened so fast. How’d you end up at Iona??
RS: The process was fairly quick. It was something where Mick informed me that he was leaving Iona for Wisconsin. He coached me for 5 years at Iona and for five years afterward. We’ve always stayed in pretty close contact and he thought I’d be a good person for the job and told me that I should contact the AD.
I had my interview and I guess it went really well. I think from (athletic director) Pat Lyons’ perspective, he wanted to make sure things happen fairly quickly and make it an easier process for the athletes so that they know they have a coach when they come back to campus.
AT: What are some of the things that you learned working under Coach Byrne?
RS: I think one of the big things I learned was patience. When I was here, I was just like any other kid from high school, you want to grab the world and go after it full tilt. But college is so much different than high school. You have to pace things and really be at your best, not in September and October, but really be ready in Nov and Dec. It’s really about building your mileage and getting to the speed so that you’re ready when you need to be.
Another thing I learned from him is how to build relationships. You have to have a good relationship with your athletes. They have to know that the door is always open. They need to know that someone is always there. You know they have so many different professors but they are going to see me every day. They are going to see me more than anyone so I’m going to know them better than anyone. They need to know that they can talk to me if they need anything.
AT: How much as working with Mick Byrne and training under him influenced your training philosophy?
RS: One of the reasons that I even chose to come to Iona was because it was very similar to my high school training. (Santos went to Michael Power St. Joseph High School in Ontario, Canada) That’s what made for a very smooth transition for me. … That’s all that I’ve ever known as a runner. The way that I coach and the way that Mick coached me is the only way I’ve ever known. (Harvard head coach Jason) Saresky was under Mick for five years as well. It’s something that I use and I believe in.
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AT: Mick Byrne has really been synonymous with the Iona College program. How does it feel to have to try to fill his shoes?
RS: It’s going to be difficult. Even though our coach styles are similar, we’re very different. Mick is very outgoing and known in the community. Coming back to Iona, people were saying, ‘Hey I remember you when you were running here or I remember reading about you in the Ionaian.’ So I already knew some people and there are others that I still need to know. … It’s a new sort of twist to the program and not philosophy but a new personality to the program. I think the biggest difference between me and Mick is that he’s a lot more even-keeled than I am. I tend to get fiery at races. I think when you’re older it’s a little easier to be even-keeled. I know I can get fiery at times but sometimes you don’t want the kids to get too excited.
AT: What’s it been like so far?
RS: It definitely feels good and I’m definitely excited about it. We have three seniors on the team that are going to spearhead the team. But we have a good group of young kids that are going to feed off them. They know that the training is going to be the same. They know ‘We can trust Ricrado and we can feed off him.’ I think that made it a little easier.
AT: What are some of the biggest challenges you think you’ll have to face as a new head coach?
RS: I think the biggest challenge for me as a head coach is going to be more of the maintaince with the kids on the team. As an asst you get to do it a little bit and see it a little bit but you’re not totally in it. for me, it’ll be about learning to utilize the assts as well as I can. I think I get caught up in doing a lot of things on my own and doing too much.
I want to develop the kids on the team but you also want to put your assistant coaches in a position where someday they will be able to take over their own programs.
Santos recently hired Gavin Kennedy as an assistant coach. Kennedy competed at DePaul and graduated in 2005. He will join Jake Stewart, who is going into his second cross country season as an assistant coach at Iona.