Poole is coaching in Athens

PROVO — BYU women's track coach Craig Poole is in Athens, Greece, to start final preparations and training for the women's USA Track & Field Team as an assistant coach.

"I'm very excited about coaching for the Olympic team for the first time," Poole said before leaving. "I will be coaching for mostly the long jump, triple jump and the heptathlon. I'll also assist Sue Humphrey, the head coach for the women's Olympic team, with the high jump and pole vault as needed."

Poole's plan is to help athletes as they arrive with registration, credentials, orientation and transportation and then start coaching members of the Olympic team in a mini-training camp.

"From August 3 to the 13th, I'll be working with the athletes in their jumping events and the heptathlon in a training camp," Poole said. "I'll get to work with Tiffany Lott-Hogan again for her first heptathlon at the Olympics, too."

Lott-Hogan, a former BYU athlete, will compete Aug. 20-21.

Under the direction of Humphrey, Poole will combine with coaching talent from all over the nation. The other four coaches will oversee different events for the women's Olympic team.

Three years ago, Poole was the head coach for the United States at the World University Games in Beijing, China. He served on the coaching staff for the West Team at the 1989 Olympic Festival and was head coach for the U.S. National Team vs. Great Britain in 1990 and for the IAAF U.S. World Indoor Championship Team in 1993.

In 1993, the Utah Network for Girls and Women in Sport recognized him for coaching his indoor and outdoor teams to WAC titles. That same year, he was the U.S. women's head coach at the World Championships in Toronto, Canada.

Along with four MWC coach of the year honors, Poole has tallied all five MWC indoor titles and four of the five MWC outdoor titles since the inception of the conference.

Poole's team has had top 15 finishes the past nine years and has had 10 top-10 finishes. In 2004, the Cougar women finished 15th in the outdoor season with four all-American citations and placed 19th in the indoor season with six all-American citations.