RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC Riverside track & field head coach Nate Browne announced on Thursday the addition of three-time All-American and decorated professional coach Greg Garza as the program's newest throws coach.
Garza, an Inland Empire native, comes to UCR after a successful tenure at San Diego State that included two Mountain West champions, three NCAA Championship competitors and five Mountain West titles (two indoor and three outdoor). He also served as the program's director of operations.
"I am very excited to join the Highlander family here in Riverside," Garza said. "I am an Inland Empire native and it feels great coming home. There is an amazing team here with some really talented student-athletes. I have a love and passion for this sport and can't wait to be a part of this program led by Coach Browne. I see great potential for this Highlander team and I am proud to be a part of it."
At SDSU, Garza led the Aztecs to four Mountain West Outdoor Championships in a six-year span while helping the Aztecs to multiple program milestones, including new school records (pole vault, indoor 4x400 relay, indoor pole vault) and the first NCAA Indoor Championships representatives in program history. In his first year with the program in 2013, he helped the Aztecs claim both the indoor and outdoor title at the Mountain West Championships while coaching two conference champions and four all-conference performers.
Garza's professional coaching tenure has been equally - if not more - impressive. The UCLA graduate has helped numerous athletes to the podium in their respective events, including a second-place finish at the 2019-21 Nigerian Olympic trials for Dotun Ogendeji and Darrell Hill's American national shot-put championship in 2018 and bronze in 2019.
Under legendary throws coach Art Venegas in Westwood, Garza was a three-time Pac-10 discus throw champion, a four-time NCAA national championship contender and qualified for two U.S. Olympic Trials. He was also a two-time participant in the U.S. Track & Field Championships and a two-time NCAA West Regional runner-up. He also captained the Bruins' squad as a senior.
Garza has also been a director and head coach of the Flying Elephant Throwing Clinic (2011), a volunteer assistant coach with national power UCLA (2007-09) and a camp coach and clinician at UCLA (2004-09).
"We are fortunate to find a coach of his caliber," Browne said. "Greg has developed throwers to the highest levels, and I'm sure he'll be able to pick up where Coach Candace left off and continue to build off that success. Our student-athletes were thrilled when they knew Coach Garza would be their next coach. We are excited to welcome Greg, his wife and two girls to our Highlander family."
