Former Cal Poly Coach to Receive USATF Legend Coach Award
6/27/2024 9:30:00 AM | Track and Field
FULL USATF RELEASE
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Terry Crawford, who served as Cal Poly's director of track & field and cross country for 13 years, will receive the USATF Legend Coach Award for 2024 during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Ore. on Thursday.
In the 10-year history of the USATF Legend Coach Award selected by the USATF Coaches Advisory Committee, Crawford is the first woman to earn the award. Crawford is also the second former Cal Poly coach to win the award, joining Brooks Johnson (2018), who served as the Mustang director of track and field from 1992-96.
Crawford has had an illustrious coaching career. At Cal Poly, she served as the head cross country coach from 1992-96 and then became the director of track & field and cross country from 1996-2009. With the Mustangs, she oversaw 42 Division I All-Americans and 19 Division II All-Americans, and three of Cal Poly's 10 Division I national champions — Paula Serrano (women's pole vault, 1998-99) and Sharon Day-Monroe (women's high jump, 2005). The four-time Big West Cross Country Coach of the Year helped the Cal Poly men's cross country team capture nine Big West titles and the women's team claim two during her tenure.
Crawford left Cal Poly in 2009 to serve as the director of coaching for USATF. Crawford also had head coaching stints at the University of Texas and the University of Tennessee and throughout her 35-year coaching career has coached 12 Olympians and over 125 All-Americans. In 1986, Crawford's squad at Texas became the first Division I women's program to complete the Triple Crown by capturing national titles in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field all in the same year.
Crawford, who was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame in 1996, was the head women's track and field coach for Team USA for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
Crawford was the first head coach in the history of the Tennessee women's track and field team and led the Lady Vols to the AIAW National Championship in 1981 — the school's first women's national title in any sport.
Prior to getting into coaching, Crawford was a three-time All-American and national champion at Tennessee in the 220-yard dash, 440-yard dash, and 880-yard dash. Crawford also competed at the international level and was a finalist in the 400 at the 1968 U.S. Olympic Trials and competed in the 800 at the 1972 Trials.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Terry Crawford, who served as Cal Poly's director of track & field and cross country for 13 years, will receive the USATF Legend Coach Award for 2024 during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Ore. on Thursday.
In the 10-year history of the USATF Legend Coach Award selected by the USATF Coaches Advisory Committee, Crawford is the first woman to earn the award. Crawford is also the second former Cal Poly coach to win the award, joining Brooks Johnson (2018), who served as the Mustang director of track and field from 1992-96.
Crawford has had an illustrious coaching career. At Cal Poly, she served as the head cross country coach from 1992-96 and then became the director of track & field and cross country from 1996-2009. With the Mustangs, she oversaw 42 Division I All-Americans and 19 Division II All-Americans, and three of Cal Poly's 10 Division I national champions — Paula Serrano (women's pole vault, 1998-99) and Sharon Day-Monroe (women's high jump, 2005). The four-time Big West Cross Country Coach of the Year helped the Cal Poly men's cross country team capture nine Big West titles and the women's team claim two during her tenure.
Crawford left Cal Poly in 2009 to serve as the director of coaching for USATF. Crawford also had head coaching stints at the University of Texas and the University of Tennessee and throughout her 35-year coaching career has coached 12 Olympians and over 125 All-Americans. In 1986, Crawford's squad at Texas became the first Division I women's program to complete the Triple Crown by capturing national titles in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field all in the same year.
Crawford, who was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame in 1996, was the head women's track and field coach for Team USA for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
Crawford was the first head coach in the history of the Tennessee women's track and field team and led the Lady Vols to the AIAW National Championship in 1981 — the school's first women's national title in any sport.
Prior to getting into coaching, Crawford was a three-time All-American and national champion at Tennessee in the 220-yard dash, 440-yard dash, and 880-yard dash. Crawford also competed at the international level and was a finalist in the 400 at the 1968 U.S. Olympic Trials and competed in the 800 at the 1972 Trials.
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