This summer, Ryan Vanhoy left his job as Ole Miss's cross country and distance coach to become Cal Poly's director of track and cross country.
The move represented more responsibility for Vanhoy and a new challenge.
Still, Vanhoy wanted to make sure his old job would be in good hands, so he spoke with his former University of North Carolina teammate and the best man at his wedding, Adam Smith, to gauge his interest in the role that was vacated.
Smith, a former top assistant at Syracuse, had been coaching professional runners for the past four years. But the lure of returning to college at a prestigious SEC school proved appealing. Smith accepted the position in late June after meeting Ole Miss head track coach Connie Price-Smith at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
"This is a place I know you can be really good, be great at the SEC level and really make so...
