Since he took the helm of BYU women's track team in 1980, Coach Poole has built a program that is consistently among the best in the nation.
Under his guidance, the Cougar track team has recorded an almost perfect record on conference and regional levels and has consistently been national contenders. Since 1983, his teams have won all eight HCAC crowns, seventeen of eighteen WAC titles, nine of ten MWC indoor titles and seven of eight MWC outdoor titles since the inception of the conference in 1999.
Awarded the 2006 Cougar Club Dale Rex Memorial Award for his success as a coach, Craig Poole has coached six individual National Champions: Christy Opara in the Long Jump, Anu Kalijurand in the Heptathlon, Tiffany Lott-Hogan in the Heptathlon, Anna Mosdell in the Discus, Amy Menlove in the Pentathlon and Lacey Cramer in the 800-meters. During his 30 years at BYU he has coached 81 athletes to All-American status.
Pooles athletes have earned a total of 165 All-American honors and 18 of his athletes have been named National Champions.
Poole has been honored as the MWC Coach of the Year seven times, including the 2009 season, and WAC Coach of the Year 10 times. He also received HCAC Coach of the Year and IAC Coach of the Year awards.
In 2004, Coach Poole was the head coach for the United States at the World University Games in Beijing, China. He also served as coach and advisor to the Taiwan National team at the Asian & World Championships in 1987 and technical coach for Taiwan at the Asian games in 1991. He served on the coaching staff for the West Team at the 1989 Olympic Festival and as head coach for the U.S. National Team vs. Great Britain in 1990 and for IAAF U.S. World Indoor Championships Team in 1993.
He was named to the 2004 Olympic coaching staff, traveling to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. He coached the U.S. athletes in the Heptathlon, Long Jump and Triple Jump.
Poole is a respected force in USA Track and Field where he is the National Development Chair, a position he has filled for over ten years. He now has an additional role as the Multi Events Chair, responsible for the national development of the long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault and heptathlon. He was a member of the NCAA Rules Committee.
In 1993, he was the head womens USA Coach at the World Championships in Toronto, Canada.
Poole received an Ed.D. in physical education and educational administration from the University of Utah in 1970. He is a full-time professor at BYU in sports psychology. He is married to Sharon Woodland. The couple has four children.
STATS
- 30th season at BYU
- Women have won 17 of 19 indoor and 26 of 28 outdoor conference championships under Coach Poole
- Named MWC Coach of the Year seven times
- Coached more than 160 All-Americans
- U.S. head coach at World University Games and World Championships
- U.S. Olympic Coach at Athens, Greece
- Coached six Olympians
R. Craig Poole began his career at BYU in 1980 as the head women’s track and field coach and a full-time professor of sports psychology. Poole received his Ed.D in physical education and educational administration from the University of Utah after attending Utah State University for his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. As both a coach and professor, Poole established a standard of athletic and academic excellence for the Cougars in his 30 years at BYU.
During his tenure at BYU, Poole led a notable number of athletes to NCAA championships, conference titles and All-America honors. Poole coached the women’s track and field team in 1998 and 2009 to third-place finishes at the NCAA Indoor Championships – the best finishes in program history. For his career, Poole coached 81 student athletes to 169 All-America honors.
Overall, Poole led BYU to 43 team indoor and outdoor conference titles, including 20-straight outdoor conference titles from 1983 to 2002. Poole was named the 1998 USTFCCCA National Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year. In honor of his accomplishments, Poole was named MWC Coach of the Year 12 times and WAC Coach of the Year 13 times. Poole was influential in BYU’s academia as the creator of the master’s program in sports psychology and developer of several undergraduate courses in sports psychology.
In addition to his success in Provo, Poole shared his coaching talents around the world. He was named the USA women’s head coach at the 1993 World Championships and at the U.S. at the 2002 University Games in Beijing, China. Poole coached Team USA athletes in the heptathlon, long jump and triple jump at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Poole retired from his decorated career at BYU in 2010 and became the director and head coach of the USATF Residency program at the Olympic Training Center from 2010-14. He was a member of the 2012 Para Olympic Games coaching staff, with athletes earning silver medals in the long jump and high jump. In honor of his lasting impact on the world of track and field, Poole was inducted into the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2011.
From 2017-19, Poole has served as a volunteer coach at San Diego State University. Along with his lifetime dedication to track and field, Poole is devoted to his family and service as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Poole resides in Chula Vista, California, with his wife, Sharon Woodland. Together they have four children — Robert, Andrea, Elizabeth and Catherine.