Nothing succeeds like success when it comes to coaching, and Mayo-born John McDonnell recently made himself the most successful coach in American collegiate history by leading the University of Arkansas to another team title in the fiercely competitive national cross-country championships.

Last Monday in Bloomington, Indiana, the Arkansas Harriers won their seventh NCAA title of the decade and a record 10th overall. That also increased the Arkansas team honours under McDonnell to 34 national titles between college cross-country, indoor and outdoor championships.

During his reign at Arkansas, the Irishman has also had Olympians such as Frank O'Mara and Niall Bruton under his wing. And the secret of his success?

"Well, we got out early and didn't give anyone a chance to catch up," he said about Monday's race. "You can take a lot of teams out if you get out fast. That's our philosophy."