At a time when the University’s football program is at an all-time low, the UW cross country teams are in their best shape in school history.

The Husky runners have already earned several victories this year and the women’s team has done what no other UW cross country team has done — earned the top rank in the nation. For coach Greg Metcalf — the man who has made the team what it is today — the journey to this point has been a dream come true.

“I love this job,” Metcalf said. “Dealing with phenomenal young people and watching them do great things, I just love it.”

It’s safe to say that the cross country coach is loved by Washington, too.

Before graduating from the UW with a degree in geography, Metcalf was already doing his part to establish the Husky runners as a force to be reckoned with. As a runner, he earned All-American honors twice and placed second only to two-time NCAA champion Martin Keino in the Pac-10 Championships.

Metcalf’s great college coach not only served to benefit his running, but his career, as well. It was due to great leadership from his mentors that he first considered coaching as a career.

“My coach’s name was Mike Johnson and I was in his office every day,” Metcalf said. “We talked about running, training, everything. He’d ask me my thoughts on things and several times along the way he’d say, ‘Hey, you’d make a great coach!’”

After volunteering with the cross country program at Auburn University during his graduate studies, Metcalf eventually took over as the cross country coach there before returning to Seattle in 1997 to become the assistant coach at Washington.

Since taking over of both the UW’s cross country and track and field teams in 2002, Metcalf’s reputation as a coach has been impeccable.

Last season, in fact, marked his second straight year receiving the title of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s Men’s Coach of the Year. It is his athletes, though, who appreciate his efforts the most.

“There are certain things that work well for certain people and he’s really good at talking it out with us and figuring out what those things are,” said All-American senior Anita Campbell. “He’ll adapt workouts and training schedules just to make our routines work for us. He’s a great people-person.”

Campbell, a proud member of Metcalf’s cross country squad, has spent plenty of time working with him. Her most memorable moment was from this summer when the two of them traveled to the Canadian Nationals together.

“We flew to Buffalo and then drove up to Toronto, just the two of us,” Campbell said. “I spent the entire weekend with him and it was fun. He’s a cool guy so he made it really interesting.”

Metcalf’s affability is, without a doubt, a key component to the success of his team.

The group’s dominance, coupled with the coach’s approachable personality, has established the UW as a top candidate for many of the country’s greatest distance runners. This year’s outstanding incoming freshmen include Christine Babcock and Kendra Schaaf.

Strong recruiting is particularly important for Washington, as it helps Metcalf accomplish his primary goal.

“Being an alumnus of the University of Washington, my goal is to continue to get better,” Metcalf said. “Winning a couple Pac-10 titles and an NCAA title along the way would be great, but ultimately my goal is to continue to progress and fill the program with talented young people who want to do great things.”

Current freshmen may rest assured that they will have the opportunity to learn under Metcalf as the successful upperclassmen have.

Coming off an outstanding eighth-place finish at Nationals last year, Metcalf received an extension that will keep him with Washington through the 2011 season.

“He’s a spitfire,” Campbell said. “He’s energetic all the time and he always brings excitement. He’s always full of energy and he infuses that into the team.”

The degree of excitement Metcalf has for his team is exemplified best when he attempts to describe his most memorable moment as a coach.

“Honestly, it’s impossible to name a single one; there’s just been a series of great events. Hopefully we’ll be able to create a most-memorable moment here in the near future.”

As the Husky runners look set to compete for a national title this year, the cross country program has never been stronger. With Metcalf’s focus on improvement, Washington will continue to be an elite power for many years to come.

Reach reporter Ben Foutz at sports@dailyuw.com.