West comes to Knoxville with more than 15 years of experience coaching at the collegiate level. He most recently served as an assistant coach at UCLA during the 2023-24 campaign after two seasons coaching sprints and hurdles with the University of Georgia men’s and women’s track programs.
West was named an assistant coach for sprints and hurdles at Georgia in July 2021 by Director of Track and Field Caryl Smith Gilbert, giving West a second stint with the Bulldogs. While in The Peach State, West helped coach Elija Godwin to national championships at the 2023 NCAA Indoor meet; Godwin also earned a gold and bronze medal at the 2022 World Athletics Track and Field Championships, as well as his first SEC individual championship in the 400m at the 2023 indoor conference meet with West’s guidance.
West, a native of Berkeley, Calif., also spent 2015-17 at Georgia as the recruiting coordinator and sprints assistant and arrived back in Athens during the 2021 summer after overseeing the sprints and hurdles program at Air Force for the 2020-21 academic year. Starting his collegiate athletic career on both the football and track teams at St. Mary’s College and then graduating from in-state Kennesaw State University, West has both recruited and coached some of the country’s best during stints at several Power 5 programs. He has signed and instructed a variety of Olympians, All-Americans, NCAA champions, conference champions and school record holders during his stops at Texas, Florida State, Arizona State, Miami, Texas Tech and others.
West guided Michelle Roca to an Academy record of 1:00.01 in the 400-meter hurdles. In fact, Air Force completed 2021 with 11 improvements to the school’s all-time record books in the sprints, hurdles and relays. West returned to the Academy coaching staff in August 2020 to begin his second stint as an assistant coach for the Falcons. West, who previously served as an assistant coach on the Falcons’ 2010-11 staff, brought a wealth of experience back to the Air Force sprints and hurdles program, following coaching stints at several Power 5 programs.
Air Force thrived under West during his first stop in 2010-11. The men’s 4x400m indoor relay of Manny Smith, Anthony Delgado, Cory Engel and Chris Severino bought home the program’s…
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