By Adam Hensley | [email protected]
Randy Hasenbank hasn’t been a Hawkeye for long, but his team is buying into his message.
The self-proclaimed high-energy, motivational, and at times aggressive cross-country coach was hired in early August to lead the Iowa squad.
The transition hasn’t been easy. In fact, Hasenbank deemed it hectic.
“Joey [Woody] wanted to get a coach in here quickly, because the team was reporting,” he said. “We’re still counting the transition in days.”
Despite the sudden turnaround, the former Loyola coach is pleased with how things have turned out.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Hasenbank said. “Obviously, there’s a lot more resources over here, obviously great talent. It’s a great school that attracts great student athletes. I’ve enjoyed it.”
During these past few weeks with Hasenbank at the helm, the runners experienced similar emotions; unexpected changes left them with uncertainty at first.
For senior Ben Anderson, Hasenbank’s hiring marks his third coach in his college stint at Iowa.
Former Hawkeye head coach Layne Anderson’s departure came on short notice, both to the university as well as the athletes.
“We kind of just got an email,” Ben Anderson said. “It was tough on [Layne Anderson]. We all had close relationships. But it wasn’t really something that was directly told [to us]. That’s how it’s always been. We find out through the media the same way everyone else does.”
Anderson said that his first impression of Hasenbank left him somewhat skeptical, but after the coach spoke to the team, things changed.
“He gave a pretty good speech,” Anderson said. “At that point, I knew I wanted to be a part of it because I knew he wanted to take the culture in the right direction.”
The senior noted that the team is buying into what Hasenbank is trying to accomplish.
Fellow Hawkeye Madison Waymire echoed his thoughts.
“It’s a great opportunity for our program to expand and evolve,” she said. “So far, I think he’s a great guy. He’s very excited to be here.”
Hasenbank made it a point to acquaint himself with his new athletes as best as possible, given his short time before the season’s start.
His efforts did not go unnoticed.
“He’s doing a great job getting to know everyone with the limited time he’s had so far,” Waymire said. “Everyone’s been doing pretty well with the adjustment.”
Previously, Hasenbank was Loyola’s head coach of both the cross-country and track teams. His tenure at Loyola was highlighted by five Horizon League team championships, five Horizon League Coach of the Year awards, and the 2013 NCAA Division I Midwest Region Coach of the Year honor.
Hasenbank also coached at Alabama and Wichita State. In 2005, he guided the Shocker women to a Missouri Valley cross-country title and received Missouri Valley Cross-Country Coach of the Year. The following year, the NCAA named him Division I Midwest Distance Coach of the Year.
While he racked up the accolades with Loyola, coached in the trenches of a tough SEC conference, and put Wichita State on the national landscape, Hasenbank’s most valuable lessons came at the high-school level.
Coaching for eight years at Andover High in Kansas, he started from the ground up.
“It really forces you to focus on the grass-roots level of training, coaching, and people skills,” he said.
He has kept those lessons close throughout his coaching journey.
The next adventure is in Iowa City.
Iowa will host the Hawkeye Invitational on Sept. 2. That will be fan’s first chance to see Hasenbank’s new-look Hawkeye team in action.
“We’re all excited to prove ourselves,” Hasenbank said. “I’ve got a lot to prove to [the runners], and they’ve got a lot that they need to do to meet their goals.”
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