Sports July 14, 2015 <July 14, 2015
Grime to lead Tabor cross country program
by Janae Rempel
Coaching wasn?t necessarily on Brian Grime?s radar when he earned his bachelor?s degree in forensic psychology with a minor in corrections from Tiffin (Ohio) University.
Grime, Tabor College?s new cross-country coach, had completed an internship with the U.S. Marshals Service in Washington, D.C., and set his heart on working there.
?I loved it,? he said. ?I thought that?s what I wanted to do. I was sold on it.?
Grime went on to earn a graduate degree in Home?land Security Administra?tion from Tiffin.
But when nailing down a job in that field proved difficult, Grime decided to pursue another passion: coaching.
?I really hadn?t planned on getting into coaching, but as I was in grad school and just working a part-time job, my old coach called me up and said ?I need an assistant,?? he said. ?(I) found out I loved it, so that?s kind of what I?ve been into ever since.?
After a two-year stint as an assistant, Grime has landed his first head coaching assignment. He will now spearhead Tabor?s cross country program and also serve as an assistant track coach.
A native of Archbold, Ohio, Grime discovered cross country his junior year of high school. He had sustained a broken arm in football the year before, and when his arm did not completely heal after surgery, Grime was left with a choice.
?I didn?t want to break it again, so my friends were like, ?Hey, come out for cross country,?? he said. ?(I) found out I was pretty good at it.?
Grime particularly enjoyed the camaraderie he found while running with the team.
After graduating from Archbold High in 2008, Grime pursued running at Tiffin, an NCAA Division II school and a member of a competitive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference.
?It was tough, especially in the beginning,? Grime said. ?I wasn?t very good, and I wanted to go to a team that was a lot better than me because I wanted to get better. I started off as one of the worst guys on the team, and by my senior year, I was their fifth guy on a nationally ranked team.?
It was just the second time in school history the team was nationally ranked, the first time being the previous year.
Grime earned his bachelor?s degree in 2012.
While completing his master?s degree, Grime got his first taste of coaching as the assistant track and cross-country coach at Heidelberg University under his former coach at Tiffin, Ron Martin.
As an assistant, Grime worked with and recruited for the women?s team at Heidelberg, an NCAA Division III school. During his two-year stint, Grime helped coached five national qualifiers and a three-time All-American.
?That was fun,? he said. ?I?d like to think I had a big part in that.?
Grime, who is engaged to be married this October, said he personally prefers long-distance running. However, he said he is taking a break from mara?thon running as a result of the wear and tear?he has already had two knee surgeries. He still runs nearly every day, though, and said he plans to run a half marathon the beginning of August.
Grime will now focus his attention on building a Tabor cross-country program that has seen a fair amount of turnover in recent years.
?I hope to provide stability,? he said. ?I hope to be here for awhile and to build a program. Tabor?s an incredible place, and I?m lucky to be here. I need a place like this just as much as Tabor needs me, so it?s a good fit.?
The biggest challenge, he said, will be increasing numbers and getting athletes to buy in to the training program. Grime said he is still seeking to field a full men?s team.
He said he is excited to be coming to a Christian college where he can not only have an impact on athletes? performance, but also as people.
?I was raised a Christian, but I?ve never really had an opportunity to have an impact on other people from this sort of platform,? Grime said. ?I?m really excited about that aspect of the job.?
In addition to keeping everyone healthy, Grime said his goal for the upcoming season is continual progress.
?I want everybody to see improvement,? he said. ?That way, next year it?s going to be so much easier. If they see even 20 seconds improvement, then they?re going to be like, ?OK, what I?m doing is worth it.??
Even though the team may be small in number, Grime said the Bluejays have what it takes to be successful.
?I think we have a talented group,? he said. ?Just looking at what they?ve run in the past, I think there?s a lot of potential there.?
Brian Grime, coach, cross country, Grime, program, tabor, to lead
Janae Rempel
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