SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Drury University head cross country coach and track & field head coach Lee Wood has resigned and has accepted the head coach cross country and assistant track coaching position at Western Kentucky.
 
Wood coached the men's and women's programs at Drury and joined the Panthers during the 2021 cross country season. During his time with the Panthers, the Drury men's cross country team had their best finish at the conference championship since 2010 when they came in third this season, and each of their top five runners earned all-conference honors. The women's cross country team was the Great Lakes Valley Conference runner-up for only the second time in team history this year, and Bradley Weimer won the GLVC individual championship and was the conference Runner of the Year in 2022.
 
In track & field, Wood guided Katie McCune to Drury's best individual finish at the national championship meet in program history as the Springfield native finished fifth in the 800 meter run in 2022. That season, the Panthers had three national qualifiers, the most ever in a single season at Drury, as Claire McCune advanced in the 1500 meter run and Jolie McClellan qualified for nationals in the javelin.
 
"I want to thank coach Wood for his commitment to the Drury program and to our student-athletes," said Drury Vice President & Director of Athletics, Nyla Milleson. "In his short time at Drury, he grew the program by expanding the number of student-athletes in addition to reaching levels of success that had not been seen here in a number of years. All of us at Drury wish him the best as he moves on."
 
Wood will take over the men's and women's cross country program at Western Kentucky and serve as the distance coach for the track & field team.
 
A search for Drury's next cross country and track & field head coach is underway. The Panthers next scheduled indoor track & field meet is Jan. 12 at the Arkansas Invitational.
 
 
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