Building a Cross Country Dynasty: Coach Isaac Wood & Salt Lake CC's Rise to Dominance
From the ground up! Coach Isaac Wood joins Airey Bros Radio to share how he's building a JUCO powerhouse at Salt Lake Community College. With back-to-back NJCAA National Championships and a game-changing partnership with HOKA, Coach Wood is redefining what it means to be a junior college program.🏅
In this episode:
✔️ Recruiting strategies & why JUCO might be the best path for elite athletes
✔️ Training philosophy, double thresholds & developing All-Americans
✔️ The impact of NIL, transfer portals & future of college running
✔️ Building a winning culture & why SLCC is Not Your Typical JUCO (NTJ)
✔️ His personal journey from BYU, Weber State, & Florida State to NJCAA dominance
🎧 Whether you're an athlete, coach, or fan of distance running, this episode is packed with insights, inspiration, and next-level training wisdom from one of the fastest-rising coaches in the sport!🔥 Subscribe, share, and drop us a 5⭐️ review!
Follow & Support:
🎙️ Airey Bros Radio: AllMyLinks
🏃 Salt Lake CC XC/TF: @saltlakexctf
👟 HOKA: @hoka
Podcast Timestamps & Show Notes:
⏳ 0:00 – Welcome to the Show!
🔹 Why we started Airey Bros Radio
🔹 The mission: Giving athletes & coaches a platform
⏳ 2:02 – Meet Coach Isaac Wood!
🔹 His journey from a BYU team manager to NJCAA powerhouse
🔹 Recruiting before social media—how he found future NCAA stars
⏳ 7:30 – Why JUCO is a Game Changer for Runners
🔹 The JUCO stigma and why it’s Not Your Typical JUCO (NTJ)
🔹 Recruiting Division I-level talent & why SLCC is different
⏳ 15:00 – The Secret Sauce of SLCC's Success 🏆
🔹 Altitude training & Utah’s deep-running culture
🔹 The power of team chemistry & culture-building
⏳ 24:30 – The Reality of NIL & Transfer Portal
🔹 How NIL is shifting JUCO recruiting
🔹 Why top athletes are choosing JUCO before D1
⏳ 32:45 – HOKA Partnership: First Ever JUCO Sponsorship!
🔹 How it happened & why SLCC is the only HOKA-sponsored JUCO
🔹 The impact of elite gear & branding for recruitment
⏳ 41:10 – Training Philosophy: Double Threshold & Strength-Based Development
🔹 How Coach Wood structures workouts
🔹 Why most workouts are strength-focused before speed
🔹 The one thing every young runner needs to do to improve
⏳ 50:00 – Advice for High School Athletes & Parents
🔹 Don’t settle for a D1 offer just for the title
🔹 JUCO as a stepping stone to a full-ride D1 scholarship
⏳ 56:30 – The Future of SLCC & What's Next!
🔹 Plans for 2025 & beyond
🔹 How the program is continuing to dominate💥 1:01:00 – Outro & Next Week’s Lineup!
🔹 Adam Hall (Utah Valley Wrestling) & Matthew Morris (CSU Pueblo)
In this episode:
✔️ Recruiting strategies & why JUCO might be the best path for elite athletes
✔️ Training philosophy, double thresholds & developing All-Americans
✔️ The impact of NIL, transfer portals & future of college running
✔️ Building a winning culture & why SLCC is Not Your Typical JUCO (NTJ)
✔️ His personal journey from BYU, Weber State, & Florida State to NJCAA dominance
🎧 Whether you're an athlete, coach, or fan of distance running, this episode is packed with insights, inspiration, and next-level training wisdom from one of the fastest-rising coaches in the sport!🔥 Subscribe, share, and drop us a 5⭐️ review!
Follow & Support:
🎙️ Airey Bros Radio: AllMyLinks
🏃 Salt Lake CC XC/TF: @saltlakexctf
👟 HOKA: @hoka
Podcast Timestamps & Show Notes:
⏳ 0:00 – Welcome to the Show!
🔹 Why we started Airey Bros Radio
🔹 The mission: Giving athletes & coaches a platform
⏳ 2:02 – Meet Coach Isaac Wood!
🔹 His journey from a BYU team manager to NJCAA powerhouse
🔹 Recruiting before social media—how he found future NCAA stars
⏳ 7:30 – Why JUCO is a Game Changer for Runners
🔹 The JUCO stigma and why it’s Not Your Typical JUCO (NTJ)
🔹 Recruiting Division I-level talent & why SLCC is different
⏳ 15:00 – The Secret Sauce of SLCC's Success 🏆
🔹 Altitude training & Utah’s deep-running culture
🔹 The power of team chemistry & culture-building
⏳ 24:30 – The Reality of NIL & Transfer Portal
🔹 How NIL is shifting JUCO recruiting
🔹 Why top athletes are choosing JUCO before D1
⏳ 32:45 – HOKA Partnership: First Ever JUCO Sponsorship!
🔹 How it happened & why SLCC is the only HOKA-sponsored JUCO
🔹 The impact of elite gear & branding for recruitment
⏳ 41:10 – Training Philosophy: Double Threshold & Strength-Based Development
🔹 How Coach Wood structures workouts
🔹 Why most workouts are strength-focused before speed
🔹 The one thing every young runner needs to do to improve
⏳ 50:00 – Advice for High School Athletes & Parents
🔹 Don’t settle for a D1 offer just for the title
🔹 JUCO as a stepping stone to a full-ride D1 scholarship
⏳ 56:30 – The Future of SLCC & What's Next!
🔹 Plans for 2025 & beyond
🔹 How the program is continuing to dominate💥 1:01:00 – Outro & Next Week’s Lineup!
🔹 Adam Hall (Utah Valley Wrestling) & Matthew Morris (CSU Pueblo)
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