Indiana Runner

Coach Matt Roe and Butler University

By:  Stephen Bain

I live on a beautiful campus in Indianapolis with some of the best academic and athletic programs in not only the state, but the country.  However, I often find that many people within the state still have not learned where Butler University is.  The basketball team has helped put the school on the map, but it is still not "well-known".

I had the pleasure of running my freshman year on the cross country team under Coach Matt Roe's first season.  I've wanted to slowly get some coverage of Indiana College XC/Track out on the site, and I figured I might as well start at home with a coach I have a very good working relationship with.

Butler has been a great program in recent years with a mix of local and international athletes.  This is simply to help educate those in the state about a school they may not know about, that has done some big things in recent years.  Coach Roe talked at the recent Cross Country Coaching Clinic, and we then begun talking about putting together this small article to talk about the program.

Bain:  Coach Roe, why did you choose to come to Butler, and what would make others want to choose this school?

Roe:  We have a beautiful campus, strong academics, and lots of good places to train near our school.  Our faculty to student ratio is 11:1 and our average class size is 20.  There are only a handful of small private Division I schools who have been on the national Division I level and Butler is one of them.  Our distance based philosophy allows the ability to be reasonably competitive against the big conference schools from a resource standpoint.  Most of the top schools in the country come from the six major conferences in the country.  We offer a smaller environment which is conducive to personal attention in the classroom and in athletics, without sacrificing the opportunity to be a national level athlete.  I ran for one of the handful of small private schools with a similar tradition- the University of Portland.  Minus a couple of bad running injuries, I loved my academic and athletic experience at Portland.   As a coach, the success the program has had, being able to give all my athletes the opportunity to compete,  being able to go to the best races in the country,  strong academics, and having a chance to be competitive with the very best teams in the country is what attracted me to Butler. 
 

Bain:  The team has a fair number of international athletes from parts such as England, Ireland, Australia and other places... I've heard some criticisms of the program because of this.  What is your response and how do the local athletes get along with them?

Roe:  We actually do not get a whole lot of outward criticism from my vantage point.   A lot of people understand the global nature of NCAA running and how it has made the sport her more competitive.  We recruit the very best student-athletes that we believe we can attract to Butler.  It is that simple.

It’s interesting because I had not coached an international athlete until I came to Butler.  I was used to coaching and recruiting athletes that were local to the schools where I coached.   I was not sure what to expect recruiting and coaching international athletes.  I cannot say enough how great the international athletes we have here are and how it has enriched my experience as a coach.  I am excited that many of them are considering staying Indianapolis to train after they finish their schooling.   My philosophy is that we are all in this together representing Butler and that is the way the athletes see it as well.   Everyone is held to the same standard and everyone has role in making the program better. 

In term of relationships, the bonds on the team are strong.  We have local athletes fly over to Europe to travel with their teammates in the summer.  They also go to altitude to train together in the summer.  They live off and on campus together.  Our international athletes often visit their teammates during holiday breaks.  We have something truly unique and special here that transcends nationalities. 
 
 

Bain:  With many high school athletes attempting to go through the recruitment process right now, what can you share about your side of the process that may let the high schoolers know how things work?

Roe:  Moving forward we are working on developing stronger recruiting ties in Indiana and the Midwest.  We are a great option for someone who is looking to reach their potential in a smaller environment.  It has always been my philosophy to recruit locally and develop local talent, as evidenced by our local  women’s class last year.   Hopefully our upcoming men’s classes will have a similar flavor. We are committed to investing in the best and brightest in both the Midwest and internationally.

Evaluating talent, potential, and motivation is something we spend a lot of time on.   We don’t just go to dyestat and start at the top of the national list and work down.  That is not to say we are not interested in the top athletes in the country.  A lot of kids get caught up in the hype of bigger brand name schools but do not investigate how the program doing, or what their role will be in the program, or even how that school stacks up against a school like Butler.  I remember what recruiting was like when I was in high school and not much has changed.   I always encourage prospective student-athletes to take a lot of visits, ask a lot questions, and look deeply into the schools they are interested in.

Luckily international athletes do not always get caught up in the recruiting hype.  They want to see where they can be successful and where they can get a great education.  Former Butler coach Joe Franklin was a really sharp guy and a shrewd recruiter.   He understood this concept well and went out and got the best athletes he could to build the program.  International prospects see what we can offer academically and athletically and they see what their friends have done here and they are excited about Butler.   As potential prospects see what local athletes are now doing at Butler, we are hoping for the similar response from Indiana and Midwest student-athletes.    
 

Bain:  Madison "Mad Dawg" Roeder is a message board favorite, and really made some great strides this year.  What can you say about this kid?

Roe:  Madison is a guy who his very consistent and level headed.  He never gets too down or up after a workout or race.  He is very coachable and does a really nice job of making adjustments in races and in sessions.  In terms of training he has had a steady progression in running volume with minimal interruptions over the last two years.   He made the top seven last year and had the chance to run at the NCAA Cross Country meet, and by track he was starting to string together some really good races.  He took that momentum into summer and now he is an individual national qualifier who is just hitting his stride.  It is pretty impressive story for a former walk-on who only broke 9:30 once in high school.  I think there are more athletes like Madison in the Midwest and we are looking for guys with that kind toughness, patience, and passion for running.

Bain:  Let's not forget Madison's older brother, former XC state champion, Justin Roeder...

Roe:  Justin has been one of the best guys in the region the last two years.  He has always been someone with great potential but injuries in high school leading into college have plagued him.  Over the last year he has managed to have longer stretches of health and has come up big for us in cross country and track.  He has run well in the post season in cross country and set personal bests at all the distances he has raced and he won a conference title in the 10000.  If he can stay on the right track, I think he will be poised for a breakthrough this coming year.