ABR 457: Jeremy Provence | Building Jacksonville State Track & Field, Gritty Recruiting & Conference USA Growth

On episode 457 of Airey Bros Radio, we sit down with Coach Jeremy Provence, Head Track & Field and Cross Country Coach at Jacksonville State University. Coach Provence shares his journey from growing up on a rural Arkansas farm to becoming a Division I head coach, building programs at the University of the Ozarks, North Alabama, and now Jacksonville State.We talk recruiting diamonds in the rough, developing gritty student-athletes, creating a family culture with athletes from 14 countries, the jump from Division III to Division I, Conference USA competition, double threshold training, ultra running, trail racing, and why Jack State is a program on the rise.☕ Support the show (Value for Value):👉 https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AireyBros🏃‍♂️ Fueled by Black Sheep Endurance Coaching: 👉 https://www.blacksheependurance.comShow Notes2:04 — Welcome to Airey Bros Radio2:16 — Introducing Coach Jeremy Provence of Jacksonville State3:00 — Coach Provence’s coaching resume and program-building background3:50 — Where recruits can find Jacksonville State XC/TF5:17 — Jacksonville State summer track & field camp7:09 — Through line: Coach Nathan Rankin and the Ozarks connection7:37 — Coaching a dual-sport wrestling and running athlete12:16 — Coach Provence’s origin story12:42 — Growing up rural in Arkansas14:18 — Finding cross country through basketball conditioning16:18 — Running at the University of the Ozarks18:25 — Falling in love with coaching as a grad assistant19:35 — Recruiting athletes with similar rural, gritty backgrounds20:44 — Finding diamonds in the rough25:15 — From Ozarks to North Alabama to Jacksonville State25:54 — Biggest differences moving from D3 to D128:39 — What makes a good fit at Jack State30:17 — Grit, growth mindset, and team-first culture32:12 — Recruiting Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and internationally34:31 — Building a unified team with athletes from 14 countries36:16 — Creating family through community service and team activities38:03 — Jacksonville State’s relationship with the town40:13 — Conference USA outdoor championship preview41:16 — Key event groups for Jacksonville State43:11 — Double threshold training philosophy45:51 — Athlete input, training debates, and coaching transparency48:40 — How much coaching is science vs. art?50:57 — Balancing coaching, family, and ultra running53:22 — Pinhoti 100 and Alabama trail running55:29 — Why it’s an exciting time at Jacksonville State57:45 — Final Four: coffee, daily rituals, music, and guilty pleasures58:32 — Running streak and coaching by example59:28 — Listening to Zach Top and classic country sounds1:00:38 — Disc golf as a guilty pleasure1:02:08 — Closing thoughts with Coach Provence