Shayla Houlihan, one of the top steeplechasers in the United States, was named head cross country coach on April 28, 2016. Houlihan, who is an assistant coach for the track & field team, is in her sixth season overall as a member of the California men's and women's cross country and track & field coaching staffs.

A record-setter in the 3000-meter steeplechase as a collegian at Northern Iowa and Utah, Houlihan continued to race after graduation and ended her professional career after a finish in the steeple at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012. She owns a PR of 9:51.26 in the event from 2011 and was ranked seventh in the country in the steeplechase by Track & Field News in 2010.