Jake Reed joined the NAU cross country team and track & field programs as an assistant distance coach in July 2025. In his role, Reed also serves as the Lumberjacks' lead men's distance recruiter.

During his first year, he delivered a remarkable season of coaching success, guiding both the women’s and men’s teams to first-place finishes at the Big Sky Cross Country Championships and leading both programs to eighth-place finishes at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

He continued that success during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons, leading both the women’s and men’s teams to Big Sky Indoor Championships titles, guiding the men’s team to an outdoor conference championship, and coaching an NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships distance medley relay victory. Under his leadership, multiple athletes advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Preliminary Round, with several qualifying to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. 

Reed arrived in Flagstaff from the University of Lynchburg where he served as head men's and women's cross country coach since 2017. Reed revitalized the program, guiding each team to a pair of NCAA Division III championship appearances and guiding the women's program to its first-ever regional championship in 2022. 

Reed, who also served as head distance coach for the men's and women's track & field teams, coached a total of four NCAA Division III national champions and 33 Division III All-Americans. His teams won 24 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championships and a total of 102 athletes won ODAC conference titles. Reed, an eight-time ODAC Cross Country Coach of the Year and nine-time Division III South/Southeast Coach of the Year, also coached Chasen Hunt to the DIII national record in the 5K and Tor Hotung-Davidsen to the DIII national outdoor record.

Reed earned his bachelor's degree in sport management at Liberty University in May 2010.