Isaac Wood is in his third season as the head coach of the SLCC Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country programs. A well-known figure in the Utah running community, Wood came to Salt Lake after serving for five years as part of the nationally competitive BYU program.
In the program's second year, Wood led the women’s cross-country team to unprecedented success, winning their first NJCAA National Championship in the fall and following that up three days later with the first NJCAA Half Marathon team championship. Emerald Kehr was runner-up at the NJCAA Cross Country Championships individually. On the men's side, JaQuavious Harris won the individual title, and the men finished as runners-up. JaQuavious also broke the NJCAA all-time record in the 5000m for both indoor and outdoor track. Additionally, Hunter Kitchen broke 14 minutes in the 5k, Lindsie Fausett won the NJCAA Outdoor Track 10,000m championship, and Finn Anspach finished 8th indoors at the NJCAA National Championships in the Mile, earning All-American honors. Emerald Kehr also earned All-American honors by finishing 6th in the Mile indoors at the NJCAA Nationals, while Elayna Loveridge was All-American in the 3000m, finishing 7th overall. Lindsie Fausett and Molly Jensen were All-American in the Indoor 5000m, with Lindsie finishing 3rd overall and Molly 7th. The Women’s Distance Medley Relay team also earned All-American status with a 3rd place finish (from the slower heat), comprising Elayna Loveridge, Avery Jensen, Elise Hartsell, and Emerald Kehr.
At the outdoor nationals, JaQuavious Harris won the 5000m title, Porter Whitworth was 7th overall and All-American in the 10,000m, Finn Anspach was 5th overall in the 3000m Steeplechase earning All-American honors, Charlie Hardcastle finished 7th overall in the 3000m Steeplechase also earning All-American honors, Elayna Loveridge was 6th overall and All-American in the 1500m, Lindsie Fausett followed up her 10,000m crown with a 3rd place finish in the 5000m, Emerald Kehr was runner-up in the 3000m Steeplechase earning All-American honors as well, and Kennedy Swain earned another All-American credential in the 3000m Steeplechase, finishing 7th overall.
This success earned him the NJCAA National Coach of the Year in 2023 and the Governor of Utah’s State of Sport Award Coach of the Year.
Wood, a native of Utah, has deep roots in the Track-and-Field community. His father, a prominent figure in the USATF, represented Olympic runners and instilled in Wood a love for the sport. Wood's coaching career began at BYU, where he served as a team manager from 2007-13. He then honed his skills as a graduate assistant at Florida State for two years before joining the coaching staff at Weber State under the mentorship of renowned coach Paul Pilkington from 2014-16.
While at Weber State, Isaac played a role in developing Jamie Stokes, an All-American in the Mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2016. He also worked with Mike Hardy, who finished 5th place at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 3k Steeplechase.
He served as the BYU Track-and-Field Director of Operations from 2016-2020. While at BYU, the Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country teams rose to become national powerhouses. Men’s Cross-Country team finishes while at BYU included 7th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st (National Championship in 2019). Women’s Cross-Country team finishes at BYU were 11th, 7th, 10th, and 2nd. The Track and Field teams were always among the top schools in the NCAA for most qualifiers to the NCAA 1st round, and Clayton Young won the NCAA 10k in 2019 while Isaac was on the staff.
Isaac Wood's impact on the running community extends beyond coaching. He served as a member of the NCAA Cross Country Executive Committee from 2014-16, where he contributed to the development of the sport at a national level. Wood is also the Executive Director of the Run Elite Program, Utah's first professional running organization. In this role, he coaches many of the state's top professional runners, demonstrating his commitment to nurturing talent and promoting the sport.
Wood and his wife, Elise, are parents to a son, Beckert.
