Don W. Hood

Don W. Hood passed peacefully on Thursday, February 9, 2024. Visitation with the family is scheduled for Thursday, February 15, from 6-8 p.m. at Elliott Hamil Funeral Home (5701 U.S. Highway 277 South, Abilene, Texas 79601), and again February 16 at 3 p.m. at Hillcrest Church of Christ (650 E. Ambler Ave., Abilene, Texas 79601), where the memorial service follows at 4:30 p.m. The burial will take place February 17 in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

Don W. Hood was 5th of 6 children born to Omer Hardy and Madie Belle Hood on April 6, 1933 in Marlow, Oklahoma. The family moved to California where he graduated from Tulare Union HS in 1951. He excelled in football, track & field, basketball and swimming. Upon graduating high school, he accepted a college football scholarship to Abilene Christian. At ACC, he met Betty Ann Maddox, and they married upon his graduation in 1955. In 2002, Betty Ann Hood passed away, and Don married Shirley Merritt in 2004.

Coach Hood began his career at Azle, Texas. After Coach Hood took the reigns as the head football coach, the Azle Hornets never had a losing season. His Hornet football teams achieved the first playoff victory and won the first district titles in 1959-60-61. The 1960 team was the first undefeated regular season team in school history. The Hornet Boy’s Cross Country team in the fall of 1958 won the State Championship, the first state team title in Azle school history. After leaving Azle in 1961, Coach Hood focused his career on Track & Field and won a State Championship at Corpus Christi Moody HS in 1969. It was the 1st year of competition for the new high school. After leaving Corpus Christi, Coach Hood took an assistant job at North Texas State and another stop at Wichita State. In 1972, Hood landed a head coaching position at Howard Payne University, winning two Lone Star Conference Championships.

In 1976, he moved to Abilene Christian. Don Hood guided Abilene Christian University to eight NCAA Division II National Championships and two NAIA Championship during his 11 seasons as head coach. His 1984 Abilene Christian men’s team is considered the greatest in Division II history. At Abilene Christian University, Hood coached a succession of great pole vaulters, including Olympians Billy Olson, Brad Pursley, and Tim Bright. In all, Hood coached 2 vaulters over 19-foot and 13 vaulters over the 18-foot barrier, starting with Olson who set 11 world indoor records in the 1980s. Coach Hood’s men vaulters won 10 indoor/outdoor NAIA titles and 10 NCAA II indoor/outdoor titles.

Hood continued his winning ways as a volunteer pole vault coach after retirement. When the NCAA added women to the pole vault, Coach Hood had the first female in NCAA Division II history win a national championship as Jane McNeill won the 1999 indoor championship. McNeill went on to win the 2001 outdoor national title, and Coach Hood had 3 additional women also win national championship titles in the pole vault.

In all, Don Hood coached 108 NCAA all-America & 51 NAIA all-America athletes. Hood has been inducted into the Azle ISD Athletic Hall of Fame, the ACU Sports Hall of Fame, the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the National Pole Vault Summit Hall of Fame, and the Texas Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame. In March 2021, ACU made him the namesake of the Coach Don W. Hood Fieldhouse adjacent to Elmer Gray Stadium.

Of utmost importance to Coach Don Hood was the opportunity to impact the spiritual growth and development of many young people through his Christian mentorship and influence. Through his domestic and international travels, he was able to lead many to Christ and a lasting faith.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Omer Hardy and Madie Belle Hood; his first wife Betty Ann, and second wife Shirley; brothers O.H. Hood, Charles Hood and Dr. Gary Hood; and sisters Mary Logan and Betty Kooser. Among survivors are sons Joel Hood and wife Stacy of Jacksboro, Texas, Don D. Hood and wife Rachel of Searcy, Arkansas, and Derek Hood and wife Lex Ann of Abilene; 11 grandchildren; and 4 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that contributions be made to the Don Hood Track and Field Endowment at ACU. Website: www.acu.edu/give.