A 2013 UC Davis alumnus and a four-year letterwinner in both cross country and track & field, Drew Petersen returned to the Aggie program in 2018 to serve as a volunteer assistant coach, before being elevated to assistant coach ahead of the 2019 season.
Petersen helped lead UC Davis cross country to new heights in both 2022 and 2023 when she saw Brianna Weidler and Sierra Atkins named Big West Conference Women's Athlete of the Year in back-to-back seasons. Weidler won the individual conference championship in 2022 before Atkins successfully defended the Aggies' title with an individual championship of her own in 2023.
The success in the distance competitions continued for Petersen's squad when she guided three Aggies to the NCAA West Regional during the 2024 Outdoor Track and Field season. Dani Barrett highlighted the outstanding 2024 campaign when she reached the national meet and placed 11th in the 10,000m, securing her spot as a Second Team All-American.
Already a local product, Petersen coached his high school alma mater of Davis Senior High in his first year after earning his bachelor's degree in exercise biology. He then served two years as a graduate assistant at Cal Poly, where he earned his master's degree in Kinesiology.
Petersen then served as an assistant cross country and track & field coach at Bradley from 2015 through the 2017-18 school year, guiding the Braves to five Missouri Valley Conference titles in that tenure. In his three years with the program, Bradley claimed three consecutive men's championships and two women's championships.
When his wife Emma was named as UC Davis' head cross country in July of 2018, Drew returned to his hometown to become involved in the Aggie distance program.
