Coach R. Craig Poole EdD is a volunteer coach for the Aztecs, who assists with the SDSU jumpers. He brings a wealth of experience to the program, having coached at several levels, including 30 years at BYU and a professional Olympic level coach for four years. He has had the opportunity to be on two Olympic staffs. The first was 2004 in Greece and was on staff with the USA Paralympic team in 2012.
He was the Head Coach of the BYU women’s track team for 30 years (1980-2010) while also teaching Sport Psychology. During his tenure, Poole’s teams were among the most consistent nationally-prominent programs in the nation.
Under his guidance, the Cougar track team recorded an almost perfect record on conference and regional levels and was consistently among national contenders. Since 1983, his teams won eight HCAC crowns, 17 of 18 WAC titles, nine of ten MWC indoor titles, and seven of eight MWC outdoor titles. A Poole-led BYU team never finished outside the top three at a conference track & field meet.
Although he was never able to quite grasp a team National Championship trophy, reaching a career-best third-place NCAA finish in 2009, he did help several individual athletes realize their national championship dream. A total of 14 of his athletes were crowned national champions 18 times. Eighty-one of Poole’s athletes earned a total of 165 USTFCCCA All-American honors.
Poole was honored as the Mountain West Coach of the Year seven times, including the 2009 season, and WAC Coach of the Year ten times. He was the NCAA National Indoor Coach of the Year in 1998 and was inducted in to the USTFCCA Hall of Fame in 2011
He has also served in many administrative capacities; with the NCAA rules committee, the USATF Combined events chairman, USATF Think tank, USTF coaching education committee where he was one of the original founding members and writers. Coach Poole is one of only a few whom have the USATF level III coaching certification in all events.
Poole received a doctorate in physical education and educational administration from the University of Utah in 1970. Poole also served as a full-time professor at BYU in sports psychology. Married to the former Sharon Woodland, the couple has four children.
He was the Head Coach of the BYU women’s track team for 30 years (1980-2010) while also teaching Sport Psychology. During his tenure, Poole’s teams were among the most consistent nationally-prominent programs in the nation.
Under his guidance, the Cougar track team recorded an almost perfect record on conference and regional levels and was consistently among national contenders. Since 1983, his teams won eight HCAC crowns, 17 of 18 WAC titles, nine of ten MWC indoor titles, and seven of eight MWC outdoor titles. A Poole-led BYU team never finished outside the top three at a conference track & field meet.
Although he was never able to quite grasp a team National Championship trophy, reaching a career-best third-place NCAA finish in 2009, he did help several individual athletes realize their national championship dream. A total of 14 of his athletes were crowned national champions 18 times. Eighty-one of Poole’s athletes earned a total of 165 USTFCCCA All-American honors.
Poole was honored as the Mountain West Coach of the Year seven times, including the 2009 season, and WAC Coach of the Year ten times. He was the NCAA National Indoor Coach of the Year in 1998 and was inducted in to the USTFCCA Hall of Fame in 2011
He has also served in many administrative capacities; with the NCAA rules committee, the USATF Combined events chairman, USATF Think tank, USTF coaching education committee where he was one of the original founding members and writers. Coach Poole is one of only a few whom have the USATF level III coaching certification in all events.
Poole received a doctorate in physical education and educational administration from the University of Utah in 1970. Poole also served as a full-time professor at BYU in sports psychology. Married to the former Sharon Woodland, the couple has four children.