It is said that most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure. Giving up was never something coach Diljeet Taylor believed in. The miracle that happened is that she drove BYU’s women’s cross country team to brilliance this season, and flowers of their hard work bloomed. Why is it a miracle, you might think, so in 2023, they tackled a heartbreaking defeat by finishing 14th place in 2023? But how the times change! The comeback is purely epic; BYU’s women’s cross country team became the NCAA Champions under her leadership. 

This victory counted as the BYU Cougars’ second NCAA title in five years under Taylor’s guidance, which also availed her the NCAA Best National Coach of the Year 2024 award. How the odds turn when the work is put in, with the right direction, determination, and sheer willpower. For Taylor, the journey was worth it. She laid the foundation for the team’s great success in 2024.

Diljeet Taylor never imagined but always hoped

Coach Diljeet Taylor’s astonishing coaching career is nothing short of amazing; it’s outlined by countless achievements, both for herself and her teams. Under her guidance, BYU’s women’s cross country team has earned two NCAA Championship titles, with the 2024 title, where they secured 147 points. The victory being the team’s second national title and sixth in the program overall. Looking back on her and the team’s journey, Taylor said in an interview with CITRUS MAG, “Ultimately, I hope that my legacy isn’t about wins and podium finishes. I hope it’s about what I inspire other people to do. That for me is success.”

Despite a tough 14th-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships, Coach Taylor turned adversity into a springboard for success. She used that setback as a rallying point for both herself and the Cougars. Taylor is gifted with the ability to inspire growth and resilience. BYU’s women’s team became national champions the following season, such an amusement. Known for her creative techniques, Taylor knows how to enhance the environment of the team, which has contributed to their unparalleled success.

Taylor looks back on her coaching tenure; she expresses, “I never could have thought, 20 years ago when I started coaching, that this is where I would end up or even have the opportunity to end up.” She started her coaching career back in 2003, where she worked with the University of Utah’s track. Fast forward to 2016, she joined BYU as the head coach of the women’s cross-country team. BYU has significantly achieved success and bagged the NCAA Championships both in 2021 and 2024 under Taylor’s guidance. 

The plan was executed when it mattered most

Taylor introduced amusing methods to unite and motivate her team. Techniques such as “butterfly mantras” and team-building activities like “pajama parties” that created a close-knit, supportive, and familiar atmosphere. While unconventional, these activities were essential in the emotional bonding among the athletes, helping them trust each other even more when the competition intensified. 

These efforts culminated in BYU’s Cougars, making them mentally prepared for any challenge. The 2024 NCAA Championship was not just about physical endurance but also about mental resilience. In her words, she and her team ‘embraced the imperfect,’ leaned into their depth, and executed when it mattered most. The 2024 NCAA victory turned out to be very emotional for all of them, proving again that her methods didn’t only help the team to trust and bond but also to push harder for one another.

BYU’s women’s cross country team’s 2024 NCAA Championship victory was more than just an athletic achievement. It was a reflection of the growth, resilience, and unity instilled by Coach Taylor. Her legacy is not limited and cannot be bound by wins or trophies. Rather, for Taylor, it’s the impact she created as a leader that has inspired people beyond track and field.