When Khadevis Robinson took over as coach of LSU’s cross country teams in 2013, he formulated a plan to build the Tiger cross country program into a contender for NCAA championships for years to come.
His first order of business was constructing a winning environment.
“First, I had to change the culture,” Robinson said. “I had to bring everyone’s expectation up to the level where my expectations were at. In the book ‘Good to Great,’ Jim Collins stated, ‘You have to get the right people on the bus, get the wrong people off the bus and get the right people in the right seats.’”
Robinson knew that solid recruiting and getting the current athletes to buy into his message was necessary to achieve his goal.
Robinson knows about winning NCAA Championships, as he won the NCAA Outdoor Championship in the 800-meter race during his senior season at Texas Christian University in 1998. He went on to become a two-time Olympian and won the U.S. Championship in the 800-meter race eight times.
“He just understands what it takes to get to the top,” said senior runner Philip Primeaux. “He doesn’t lie about it being a lot of work.”
Now, in Robinson’s second year as coach, the women boast a record of 22-2 and the men 19-6, a marked improvement from last year’s 29-63 and 32-57 records, respectively.
Senior runner Andria Aguilar attributes a large portion of the team’s success to the revamped environment and the new workouts Robinson introduced. Aguilar said all the runners decided to trust Robinson’s workouts, and the results are astonishing so far.
“He doesn’t tell us what the workout is going to be or when it will end,” Aguilar said. “We have to give every rep like it’s the last one, and that’s how we end up getting so much out of the workout. I noticed from day one we are improving at an incredible rate.”
Robinson expects to reach his lofty expectations by securing the best long distance recruits in the state while adding some of the best in the nation.
Robinson said the University is an attractive destination for recruits because it has the best coaches, facilities and environment in the nation.
“Every recruit I have brought in has absolutely loved it,” Robinson said. “I have already brought in some of the top recruits in the state and nation. We will have some of the top distance runners here at LSU. They already want to come — now we have to figure out a way to make it work for them.”
Aguilar said the team is destined for success, as evidenced by their recent success and Robinson’s determination to get back to the top.
“I believe him when he says he is determined to get a good team — he is very committed to that,” Aguilar said. “I think the future is bright.”