By Seven gold, five silver and four bronze medals won as an Olympic head coach, seven Big West Conference track and field championships as a coach at Long Beach State and a former Olympic finalist and American record holder as an athlete.
These accomplishments are just the tip of the iceberg on the remarkable resume of the new Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at LBSU, LaTanya Sheffield.
Sheffield has spent 13 years with The Beach, serving as the head coach for men’s and women’s track and field for the past three seasons. She additionally has had an extensive international coaching career, culminating in being named the Team USA women’s track & field head coach at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
“I’m hopeful that the experiences that I’ve had in my career and the challenges I’ve had to overcome will give new members of our Beach family solace in knowing that that experience is there and shared with them,” Sheffield said.
New Director of Track and Field and Cross Country LaTanya Sheffield advises her team at the MPSF Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 19, 2022.
Photo courtesy of LBSU Athletics
The Olympic gold-medal winning coach has “big shoes to fill,” in her words, as she takes over for former program director Andy Sythe, who has retired after 37 years with the program.
In addition to a lengthy list of accomplishments including 11 Big West Coach of the Year awards, 11 Big West championships and the development of 77 All-American athletes during his tenure, Sythe’s crowning accomplishment at LBSU was his pivotal role in turning Jack Rose Track into one of the top track and field facilities in the nation.
Above all of his direct contributions to the legacy of LBSU athletics, what stood out most from Sythe’s leadership to Sheffield was his warm and welcoming attitude that helped connect all different communities to The Beach.
“He is that guy that everybody knows,” Sheffield said. “His legacy of welcoming folks is immense, and that is something that I will truly continue to bring to the table.”
In 2025, Sheffield led a prolific sprint and hurdle squad that featured star athletes such as Big West Track Athlete of the Year senior Rahni Turner and junior Tristyn Flores, who broke school records in the women’s 100m hurdles and the men’s 100m and 200m, respectively.
Flores is returning for his senior season as a team captain, and credits Sheffield immensely for development as a sprinter and leader.
“The impact she’s had on my career, I can’t really put it into words,” Flores said. “Track is new to me, so not only was she asked to develop my skills, but also to create my skills.”
While track and field has thrived with Sheffield at the helm, with the men’s team finishing top three in the conference all three seasons and the women’s team winning the Big West in 2023, cross country at LBSU has not been nearly as successful.
Sheffield hopes to help build and elevate both the men’s and women’s cross country teams, neither of which have finished higher than sixth in the Big West since 2021, into “stronger entities.”
Looking ahead to her first year as Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, Sheffield emphasized the importance of the support of the campus community, and encouraged anyone in the LBSU community to come watch a practice at Jack Rose Track.
“It is so helpful for student athletes to know that there is support, and that they have an inherent cheering squad in their community,” Sheffield said.
