NEW ORLEANS – Associate director of track & field Diljeet Taylor was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year, the organization announced Monday afternoon.
Taylor guided Jane Hedengren to two NCAA titles in the 3000-meter and 5000m. Along with Hedengren’s first-team All-America honors, Taylor also helped coach Riley Chamberlain, Jenna Hutchins, Taylor Rohatinsky, Sami Oblad, Tessa Buswell and Jacey Harkins-Farmer to a combined four First Team All-America honors and two Second Team All-America honors.
She also coached Hedengren and Chamberlain to NCAA records in the 5000m and mile, respectively, with Hedengren running 14:44.79 and Chamberlain clocking 4:20.61.
Taylor led the Cougars to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA National Championships, scoring 27 points for the program’s best indoor finish since 2009.
At the Big 12 Championships, Taylor coached her women to a runner-up finish with 110 points, the most BYU has ever posted since joining the Big 12. She coached Hedengren to a Big 12 title in the 3000m, Chamberlain to a title in the 800m and Rohatinsky, Kali McEuen, Krystie Solomon-Jensen and Hutchins to a distance medley relay title.
This marks the first time Taylor has received national recognition in track & field and the third time she has earned national USTFCCCA honors, having previously been recognized in cross country.
Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches following the conclusion of the 2026 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. Performances from both the NCAA Championships and the regular season were considered. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.