“The pieces were there – but getting them to mesh and come together, we had to embrace the imperfect. We had to have these women realize that if you're scared of something, the only way to get over that fear is to conquer it. That was what this championship was for a lot of the women. 

My guest for today's episode is Diljeet Taylor, Head Coach of BYU’s women's cross country and track team. She's one of the most inspiring leaders in the sport. Coach Taylor just wrapped up a storybook season by guiding BYU to the 2024 NCAA Cross Country women's team title. It's their second national championship under her leadership and the program's sixth overall.

This victory wasn't just about redemption. It was about resilience one year after a devastating 14th place finish at NCAAs – the lowest moment of her coaching career. Coach Taylor and her team embraced the imperfect, leaned into their depth, and executed when it mattered most.

From butterfly mantras to pajama parties to brilliant race strategies, Coach Taylor proved that with belief and preparation, anything is possible. In today's conversation, we talked about BYU’s incredible turnaround, her approach to coaching All-Americans and building a winning culture, and why this year was a testament to her mantra, ‘Embrace the imperfect.’

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Diljeet Taylor | @diljeetdosanjhtaylor on Instagram

Time stamps:

3:33 - Reflections coming off BYU’s team title at NCAAs 

5:03 - Finishing 14th at the 2023 Championship to winning in 2024

8:47 - What she said to her athletes after NCAAs last year 

10:16 - How her coaching style has changed

12:27 - Lexy Halladay-Lowry’s progression + working through an injury to finish 14th

14:22 - What the evening was like with the team the night before NCAAs

21:03 - Why the team got off social media the month leading up to NCAAs

23:06 - “The Night Before Nationals” book

25:46 - Frank Gagliano’s impact on her as a mentor 

26:55 - Overcoming last year’s disappointment at NCAAs

29:12 - Goals and expectations heading into this year’s race 

34:05 - How the race played out 

37:27 - How the team celebrated winning 

42:38 - Looking ahead to next year’s team 

45:01 - What she hopes her legacy will be

48:49 - Connecting with other female coaches 

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