Shayla Houlihan

Biography

College Coaching Resume YEAR SCHOOL POSITION 2007-09 Utah Grad. Asst. 2012 Cal Asst. Coach 2013 Cal Asst. HC 2014-15 Cal Assoc. HC 2016-18 Cal HC 2021-22 UCSB HC 2023 Iowa Asst. Coach 2024-present GCU HC Conference Champions 2021 NCAA Championships Appearances Men - 2016 | Women - 2017 Conference Coach of the Year 2021 bold denotes at GCU View GCU Cross Country coaching records. Shayla Houlihan is in her second season as Grand Canyon cross country head coach after being named to the position in July 2024. A decorated runner in her own right, Houlihan has an impressive coaching resume that includes several top-10 recruiting classes, appearances at NCAA Championships, conference titles, All-Americans, national team coaching experience and academic success. "I'm thrilled to have found my home at GCU and am eager to work hard to elevate our distance program to national prominence," Houlihan said at the time of her hire. "As we transition from the WAC to the WCC, it will be vital to make the competitive jump in this distance-heavy, national-caliber conference. I want to thank the administration — (sport administrator) Anthony Martinez, (deputy athletic director) Nick Ojea and (athletic director) Jamie Boggs — for entrusting my vision for the future of our program here at GCU." Working alongside track and field head coach Tom Flood, Houlihan oversees the distance component of the program including leading the cross country teams and assisting with distance runners for track and fie