Zach Newsom was named a distance coach for UC Riverside's Track & Field and Cross Country program in September of 2021 after stints at Idaho, Oregon and Saint Mary's and enters his fourth season in 2024-25.
In 2023, Newsom guided the UCR men's cross country team to its first Highlander Invitational win since 2014. UC Riverside also dominated at the Big West Preview and the famed Bill Dellinger Invite in Eugene before both the men's and women's squads moved up to No. 11 in the West Region USTFCCCA rankings. UCR ended the cross country season with the women placing 11th at NCAA West Regionals - its best finish since 2017 - and Ashraf Abdelmagid earning NCAA All-Region.
Newsom helped UCR cross country reach new heights in his first year on campus when Linda Perez ran her way to a Big West All-Conference selection at the 2021 Big West Championships in Davis. Perez twice set UCR's 10k record and later won the Big West 10k title as Freshman of the Year. In 2023, Newsom helped the Highlanders secure their first meet win since 2015, finishing first at the season-opening Nevada Twilight.Â
Newsom spent the 2020-21 season as a volunteer assistant with the University of Idaho, helping Malaina Thacker and Tim Stevens qualifying for NCAA West Preliminary rounds in the 3000m steeplechase and 1500m, respectively.
In 2019-20 season, Newsom served as a volunteer assistant at Oregon where helped coach both the men’s and women’s cross country teams to the NCAA championship meet. He had student-athletes qualify to the NCAA indoor championship in every event from 800m to 5000m prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2017-18, he coached at Saint Mary’s from August to March prior to Academy of Art in San Francisco from March to July. Newsom helped coach Gatien Airiau to an NCAA Division II national championship in the 3000m steeplechase.
Newsom graduated from Saint Mary’s in 2017 with a degree in Kinesiology, Sport & Recreation Management, and earned his master's in business administration from Oregon in 2020.Â
Newsom was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He is married to Alanna Newsom.Â
