The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show

Office Hours: Harvard Coach Alex Gibby On Developing NCAA Champions Like Graham Blanks and Maia Ramsden + Building Team Culture In The Ivy League

Feb 28, 2025

Alex Gibby, the Associate Head Coach of Harvard Track and Field and Cross Country, shares his journey in coaching, centered around developing NCAA champions like Graham Blanks and Maia Ramsden. He emphasizes creating a positive team culture in Harvard's high-pressure environment, where athletes thrive academically and athletically. Gibby discusses the balance between individual achievements and team dynamics, as well as evolving recruitment strategies that seek elite talent. His insights on nurturing resilience and adaptability offer a glimpse into the heart of collegiate athletics.

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ADVICE

Building Team Culture at Harvard

Create a relaxed team atmosphere to counterbalance academic stress.
Let athletes have fun and de-stress during practice.

INSIGHT

Harvard Recruiting Challenges

Recruiting for Harvard requires finding athletes who are academically capable and ambitious.
Athletes must be Type A enough to handle the pressure, but not so much that it consumes them.

ANECDOTE

Lessons Learned from Athletes

Craig Forys taught Gibby that less can be more in training.
Ian Fitzgerald taught Gibby to listen to athletes' preferences, even if they seem counterintuitive.

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“I want them to be able to come across the river as you cross into Harvard Athletics and be able to let their hair down and relax. I want it to be the best part of the day with their teammates that they really enjoy. What I usually say is, ‘We're going to take what we're doing seriously, but we're not going to take ourselves seriously.’”

My guest for today's episode is Alex Gibby, one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in collegiate distance running right now. He's in his 8th season as the Associate Head Coach of Harvard Track and Field and Cross Country. He's built a program that competes at the highest level on both the track and in cross country. In the past year alone, his athletes won four NCAA titles, made history in cross country, and set a bunch of Ivy League records. He also put two athletes on their respective Olympic teams.

Gibby's influence extends far beyond Harvard. Throughout his coaching career, he's guided teams to the NCAA Cross Country Championships consistently, developed multiple All-Americans, and led programs at Michigan, William and Mary, Charlotte, and Stephen F. Austin. From mentoring champions like Graham Blanks and Maia Ramsden to shaping the next generation of elite runners, he's at the center of some of the biggest success stories in the NCAA right now.

In this episode we talk about his coaching philosophy, how he's built this team culture in a high pressure academic environment like Harvard, what it takes to develop national champions, and his insights on the future of collegiate and professional distance running.

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