Delaney Rasmussen Named Cal Poly Cross Country Head Coach
8/14/2026 2:00:00 PM | Cross Country, Track and Field
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Delaney Rasmussen, a former runner at Northern Arizona University who has spent the past two years as an assistant coach at Columbia University, has been named the head coach of the Cal Poly cross country program, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Jake Stewart announced Friday.
Rasmussen will also serve as an assistant coach for the Cal Poly track and field program, working closely with the women’s distance runners for the Mustangs.
The potential this program has to continue to be one of the most dominant within the Big West is evident, and we hope to elevate its status within the West Region and at the national level.Delaney Rasmussen, Cal Poly Women's Cross Country Head Coach
“I couldn’t be more excited to bring a coach of Delaney‘s quality to Cal Poly,” Stewart said. “I got a chance to know Delaney at the beginning of her coaching career, and have since watched from afar as she’s established herself in our profession. In our conversations, I’ve always been impressed with her approach, her work ethic, and her sense of training and preparing athletes to compete. Being a California native, I’m excited to bring her back home. Her enthusiasm to come to Cal Poly was unmatched and I really believe she’s a great addition to our staff that will help push our program forward in the years to come.”
Rasmussen served as an assistant for the Columbia track & field and cross country programs the past two years. In the fall of 2024, Rasmussen coached phenom Phoebe Anderson who became just the second woman in program history to capture an Ivy League individual cross country title. Anderson went on to capture second at the NCAA Northeast Regional to earn USTFCCCA All-Region honors and an individual berth to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, where she placed an impressive 26th to secure All-American honors for the second straight year.
“I’m extremely grateful to Jake and Senior Associate Athletic Director Jackson Stava for this opportunity to lead the women’s distance program,” Rasmussen said. “It’s very clear this program is really well supported and definitely has all the tools to be successful.”
This past fall, Rasmussen guided the Columbia women to their best finish at the Ivy League Cross Country Championships in six years, placing third as a team with two All-Ivy League Second Team honorees.
During her two years coaching for the Columbia men’s and women’s track and field teams, athletes Rasmussen aided combined to record 18 top-10 marks in school history indoors and 13 outdoors. The Lions also had seven NCAA East Preliminary qualifiers in distance events during Rasmussen’s time with the program.
“When Jake accepted the job at Cal Poly and gave me a call, it was kind of a no-brainer for me,” she said. “The potential this program has to continue to be one of the most dominant within the Big West is evident, and we hope to elevate its status within the West Region and at the national level.”
Her enthusiasm to come to Cal Poly was unmatched and I really believe she’s a great addition to our staff that will help push our program forward in the years to come.Jake Stewart, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
Prior to Columbia, Rasmussen spent the 2023-24 season at UCLA as an assistant coach for the track & field and cross country programs. While working with the men’s and women’s distance teams, she helped Mia Kane win the Pac-12 title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and Michael Mireles finish as the Pac-12 runner-up in the 5,000-meter. Additionally, Rasmussen aided Bruin athletes to eight top-10 marks in UCLA school history between indoor and outdoor track.
Rasmussen began her coaching career at Sacramento State in July 2022 as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s track & field and cross country teams. In her one year with the program, Rasmussen helped 10 women and four men crack the Hornets’ all-time top-10 lists. She also guided athletes to podium finishes in the 800 and 4x400 relay at the Big Sky Conference Championships. By the end of Rasmussen’s time at Sacramento State, she was promoted to Associate Head Cross Country Coach.
A native of Folsom, California, Rasmussen made a connection with Stewart in the early stages of her coaching career, and the two have stayed in touch ever since. She said Stewart has always been an advocate for her, and she’s looking forward to finally getting a chance to work alongside him at Cal Poly.
“Jake brought Gonzaga some tremendous success and was able to turn around the women’s program there,” she said, “and one of the things I’ve noticed about him is how much he cares about each of his athletes. I think that is so important and something that really aligns with the way I like to coach. Jake is going to be a great leader and an amazing person to work with and I know there’s some pretty big things on the horizon for this program with him leading the way.”
Prior to coaching, Rasmussen was a distance runner at Northern Arizona from 2017-22, helping the Lumberjacks capture 11 Big Sky Conference Championships between track & field and cross country during her time there. She competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championships twice, placing 44th at the national meet in 2021 to help NAU finish 11th as a team. On the track, she qualified for the NCAA West Preliminaries twice in the 5,000.
“Coaching at the collegiate level is such a great opportunity to work with student athletes in such a pivotal moment in their lives,” Rasmussen said. “For me, I really enjoy helping them grow as individuals and giving them tools to be successful beyond running, so I plan on bringing that to Cal Poly to help them reach their goals and full potential. I’m really excited to work with this group and can’t wait to get after it on the cross country course this fall.”
