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.