Abilene Christian's Hood vaults to the head of the class

[rainbowgirl28]

http://ustfccca.cstv.com/sports/divisio ... 06aaa.html

Abilene Christian's Hood vaults to the head of the class
Coach won multiple national titles, developed world-class pole vaulters



Don Hood, 2006 USTFCCCA Hall of Fame Inductee


Aug. 18, 2006

Don Hood Sr. never set out to become a pole-vault guru.

"I always considered myself more of a throws coach," Hood said.

Actually, Hood is best known for two things - producing great teams and great vaulters at Abilene Christian University. The two went together like wind and sagebrush.

In 11 seasons as the head track coach at Abilene Christian, Hood won eight NCAA Division II team titles and one NAIA championship. While he was at it, Hood coached 13 vaulters over the 18-foot barrier, starting with Billy Olson, who set 11 world indoor records in the 1980s.

"It sort of snowballed after Billy Olson," Hood said. "Billy attracted other vaulters, and we became known as a pole vault school."

Hood's career will be celebrated Dec. 12 when he is inducted into the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He'll be joined in the Class of 2006 by 11 other coaches.

"I'm thrilled to death," Hood said. "Usually the small schools don't get as much attention as the big schools. But we could compete with anyone."

Hood's 1984 team scored 246 points at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing 117 points in front of the runner-up. Wildcats won the 200, 400, 800, 1,500, pole vault, triple jump and both relays. Abilene Christian's relay teams set meet records (39.20 and 3:03.28) that still stand 22 years later.

But the pole vault was Hood's signature event. His interest in the event started long before Olson arrived on the Abilene Christian campus.

Hood attended Tulare Union High School in California's Central Valley. One of his teammates was Bob Mathias. Tulare's coach, Virgil Jackson, wanted Mathias to try the decathlon in the spring of 1948, but Jackson knew nothing about the pole vault.

"Our coach brought Dutch Warmerdam down from Fresno to give Bob a quick lesson," Hood said. "I got to learn from the world record holder."

Mathias went on to win the Olympic decathlon gold that summer at age 17. After graduating from Tulare Union two years later, Hood headed south to attend Abilene Christian on a football scholarship.





Hood coached track at four Texas high schools in the 1950s and `60s before taking an assistant's job at Wichita State in 1968. After another stop at North Texas State, Hood landed a head-coaching position at Howard Payne University in 1972. He landed at Abilene Christian in 1976, and the rest is history.

Like any good coach, Hood boils a complicated subject down to its essence..

"If coaches show a little interest, the kids will respond," Hood said.

Hood stepped down in 1988 but still serves as a volunteer assistant at Abilene Christian. The head coach is his son, Don D. Hood. The younger Hood led the Wildcats to the 2006 NCAA Division II outdoor title in his first season at ACU.

"My father is the most competitive person I have ever met," said Don D. Hood. "He loves to win and hates to lose, but more than anything, he just loves to compete. His athletes responded to his competitiveness and rose to his level."

The elder Hood says he continues to assist with the vaulters because he'd feel lost otherwise.

"Track people are usually pretty dedicated," he said. "It's great to still be a part of it. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't go to the track each afternoon."

Joining Hood in this year's USTFCCCA Hall of Fame Class are Bill Bergan (Iowa State), Al Carius (North Central), John Coughlan (Illinois State), DeLoss Dodds (Kansas State), Bob Groseclose (Northeast Louisiana), Tom Heinonen (Oregon), Ted McLaughlin (Southern Methodist University), Bill Moultrie (Howard), Jack Pyrah (Villanova), Deb Vercauteren (Wisconsin Oshkosh) and Gary Wieneke (Illinois).

For more information, see www.ustfccca.org.

[vaultmd]

Congrats to Don Sr.

[Texasvaulter07]

Congrats to Don Sr.