Mike Maynard Hired To Lead UCLA Men's Track & Field Former Boise State Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 8, 2009



Mike Maynard Hired To Lead UCLA Men's Track & Field Former Boise State Director
of Track & Field to Join Bruins


Mike Maynard, formerly the Director of Track & Field at Boise State University, has been named Head Coach for the UCLA men's track & field team, Associate Athletic Director Glenn Toth announced on Tuesday. Maynard joins the Bruins after having spent the previous nine years in Boise and will oversee all aspects of the men's program as well as coach both the men's and women's throwers.

"I am so excited to be a part of the Bruin family," said Maynard. "This is something I have always really dreamed of. I went to school at Azusa Pacific, but my first choice was to go to UCLA. I enjoyed my time at APU, but to now have the opportunity to go and lead the men's program and be part of the tradition and legacy of UCLA track and field is really exciting. I look forward to working with Coach Jeanette Bolden and together we can make something special happen.

"UCLA has such a phenomenal tradition of track and field with the legacy of all of the Olympians, world class athletes and great coaches. My hope is to come in and build upon what has been done in the past. I see a bright future for UCLA track and field."

Maynard brings personality and positive outlook to all of his endeavors, which will translate to success in recruiting and fundraising for the Bruin track and field team. He signed a three year contract with UCLA and becomes the sixth head coach in UCLA men's track and field history.

"In searching for a head coach who will return the UCLA men's track program to national preeminence, we sought a candidate with a proven record of success at the Division 1 level, and the qualities common to all of our coaches, particularly leadership and character,” said Toth. “Mike Maynard not only has an impressive coaching resume, but understands UCLA's philosophy regarding the cohesion of academics and athletics. With the resources available to him here, we are confident men's track will again position itself among the nation's elite programs."

In his nine years as the head coach at Boise State, Maynard led a program which produced several historic events. From back-to-back (2004 and 2005) national championships by Gabe Wallin in the men’s javelin, over 50 new school record performances and 30 All-American accolades, the Broncos enjoyed unprecedented success behind Maynard’s direction.

During the 2009 season, the men's team won the WAC Indoor Championship, finished 27th at the NCAA Indoor Championships and 25th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The women's team placed 19th at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

The top individual highlight was Eleni Kafourou becoming the first female student-athlete at Boise State to win an NCAA National Championship (long jump). Along with Kafourou's national championship, Boise State earned a total of seven NCAA All-America awards in track and field last year.

Boise State also made its presence known at the national level with Maynard at the helm with four straight top 25 finishes for the men’s team at the NCAA National Outdoor Championships. The Bronco men were 16th at the 2006 NCAA National Outdoor Championships, 14th in 2005, 15th in 2004 and 24th in 2003. In 2009, the Bronco men finished 25th at the NCAA Outdoor meet.

Maynard has also guided Bronco student-athletes to over 70 individual WAC Championships and over 90 marks on Boise State’s all-time top three performance lists.

Maynard came to Boise State following an outstanding assistant coaching career at the University of Arizona. He was the associate head track and field coach for the Wildcat program for 13 years prior to joining the Broncos. While coaching at Arizona, Maynard guided 32 individual NCAA Division I All-Americans, including three NCAA National Champions.

Maynard’s coaching resume also includes a two-year stint as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Arizona, where he worked with the Wildcat football program as well as being responsible for the Arizona track and field, swimming and tennis teams. He began his collegiate coaching career at Mesa Community (Ariz.) College where he was the assistant track and field coach from 1982-84, and in 1987.

Maynard was also instrumental in bringing a world-class facility to Bronco Track & Field. During his first two years leading the Broncos, Maynard and Boise State were successful in purchasing a world championship caliber track and helped construct the building to put it in. The Mondo track was used by USA Track and Field and the Georgia Dome for the national indoor championships. The building is the Idaho Sports Center located in the Idaho Center complex in Nampa, Idaho. The track was purchased with a $250,000 cash gift from John Jackson, President of Jacksons Food Stores in Meridian, Idaho. Boise State has hosted several major meets, including six WAC Indoor Championships. The facility hosted its first national meet in 2005 with the USA Indoor Master’s Championships. Boise State has submitted bids to host future NCAA Indoor National Championships.

Outside the collegiate world, Maynard has coached a World Champion, five different Olympians, a Pan American gold medalist, five USA Track and Field Champions and three American Junior Champions. One of Maynard’s former athletes Tony Washington (1990-96), won the World Championship in the discus in 1999. Washington also won the gold medal in the discus at the 1991 Pan American Games along with five USA National Championships.

Maynard is currently an Executive Committee member of the United State Track Coaches Association and the NCAA Division I Track and Field Executive Committee.
Maynard was also the head coach for the USA Track and Field team in its dual meet against Germany in 1996. He has served USA Track and Field as the Regional Decathlon Chairman, the United States Olympic Committee as an Elite Throws Clinician, and has been the lead throws clinician for the USA/Visa Decathlon team.

Maynard is a 1986 graduate of Azusa Pacific University with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy. He and his wife Dee are the parents of a son, Michael (16) and a daughter, Allyson (18), who is currently a freshman at Boise State.

Stephanie Sampson
UCLA Sports Information