PROVO, Utah – BYU head track and field and cross country coach Ed Eyestone has announced the promotion of Diljeet Taylor to the position of associate head track and field coach.
Taylor is also the associate head cross country coach-women. She was promoted to that position in September 2017.
“Coach Taylor has done a phenomenal job the last two years leading our women’s cross country program to 10th and 11th place at nationals and getting big-time results from our lady distance runners on the track,” Eyestone said. “She is a master coach, motivator and builder of relationships. She is in tune with the needs of our athletes. As an associate head coach she will be able to use these talents as she interacts directly with more of our student-athletes. The end result will be a better overall team. I am grateful for her willingness to serve in this expanded role.”
In two seasons since joining the BYU track and field coaching staff, Taylor has helped the Cougar women earn 13 All-America honors in distance and middle distance events. At the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships, Taylor coached five first-team All-Americans, including Whittni Orton in the mile and Madelyn Dickson, Brenna Porter, Kristi Rush-Briggs and Ashleigh Warner in the distance medley relay. Orton added honorable mention honors at the outdoor championships in the 1,500 meters.
“I am extremely grateful to BYU for this opportunity,” Taylor said. “I truly enjoy working with all of our amazing student-athletes and am excited to continue building our cross country and track and field programs.”
During the 2017 track season, Taylor coached BYU athletes to first-team All-America honors in the mile, the distance medley relay, the outdoor 800 meters and the steeplechase.
In the fall of 2017, Taylor coached the Cougars to an 11th-place finish at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. During the 2016 cross country season, Taylor coached the BYU women to 10th place at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana, the program’s best finish since 2005. Taylor also coached Erica Birk-Jarvis to All-America honors, BYU’s first All-American in women’s cross country since 2011.
Thanks in large part to Taylor’s coaching, BYU women’s cross country and track and field were ranked No. 15 in the final U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Program of the Year standings for 2017-18.
Prior to coming to BYU, Taylor coached at Cal State Stanislaus from 2007 to 2016. She was originally hired as the head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country programs and also served as the distance coach for men’s and women’s track. In June of 2013, she was named director of track and field and cross country.
During her time at Cal State Stanislaus, Taylor guided All-American Courtney Anderson to an NCAA Division II championship in the 1,500-meter run in 2014. From 2013 to 2016, the distance and cross country programs accumulated 16 All-America honors, including consecutive runner-up finishes in the indoor championships by the distance medley relay team.
Taylor also coached men's middle-distance runner Abraham Alvarado at Cal State Stanislaus, who qualified for and competed in the 2016 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. Alvarado, who transferred to BYU in 2016, competed in the men's 800-meter race and made it to the semifinals at the trials. He also made back-to-back appearances in the 800-meter semifinals at the USA Track and Field Championships in 2017 and 2018 and earned first-team All-America honors at the 2018 NCAA Indoor National Championships.
From 2004 to 2006, Taylor trained with Nike’s Farm Elite Team, an Olympic development program that makes its home at Stanford University. She also served as an assistant coach to Keith Spataro at Menlo College before taking over as head coach in 2005.
Taylor attended Cal State Stanislaus as a student-athlete from 1999 to 2002. She was a three-time All-American in indoor and outdoor track and field as a specialist in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs. She set the school indoor record in the 800-meter in 2002. That same year she finished second at the NCAA National Championship meet and finished her career second on the outdoor track all-time list in both the 800- and 1,500-meter events.
In 2002, Taylor was named Cal State Stanislaus Female Athlete of the Year and Scholar Athlete of the Year. She was also the most dominant runner for the Warriors during that time, earning Most Valuable Runner from 2000 to 2002. Taylor served as a team captain for the Warriors for two years.
Taylor graduated cum laude from Cal State Stanislaus in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies. She is married to former Cal State Stanislaus basketball player Ira Taylor and they have two children, Taj and Avi.