26 Years. Two Dynasties. No Participation Medals. Doug Soles on Buy-In, the 2009 Loss That Still Haunts Him, and Why He Walked Away at the Peak

Doug Soles just walked away from the most dominant program in the country, and he's not done building.

The two-time NXN champion coach joins Dominic to reflect on 26 years of head coaching and his recent decision to step down at Herriman High School. Soles opens up about the toll of 12-hour days, his choice to leave teaching first, and why he's leaving his next move "wide open" rather than rushing into another job. 

He traces his evolution from a rookie coach in the desert heat of Palm Springs with just three athletes to building two national powerhouses, crediting the shift from copying others to developing his own philosophy as the real turning point.

Much of the conversation centers on buy-in: how Soles convinces five-flat milers they're capable of greatness, why travel to big meets reframes how kids see the sport, and how he handles excuses, transfers, and kids who are "half in, half out." He's candid about losses that still haunt him, the 2009 state title he let slip away, and the lessons that shaped everything after. 

Soles also discusses coaching Jackson Spencer through an undefeated season and why he believes in earning success rather than handing out participation trophies.

He closes with reflections on handling critics, the importance of fit over title, and passing the Herriman program to his successor, Josh Bugel, on his own terms. 

A thoughtful, occasionally funny, and deeply earned conversation with one of the most accomplished coaches in American distance running history.

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