California State University, Northridge head men’s and women’s track and field and cross country coach Justin Johnson has announced the addition of Devin Elizondo  and Joseph Blue to the Matadors’ coaching staff. Elizondo will assist with the CSUN cross country teams and serve as the distance coach for the Matadors’ track and field programs and Blue will serve as a throws coach.

“The future of CSUN cross country will be in great hands with the addition of Devin Elizondo,” Johnson said. “I am extremely happy to have Coach Elizondo on staff. Devin is a well-respected and accomplished coach. His experience in the Big West and the Pac-12 will provide a boost to the cross country and distance program.”

Elizondo comes to CSUN after spending the previous five seasons at UCLA as an assistant coach for the Bruins’ cross country and track and field teams. Elizondo helped lead the Bruins’ young distance squad to a strong 2021 season in cross country. Peter Herold earned All-Region honors after a 25th-place finish at the NCAA West Regional Championships. The Bruin men took sixth at the Pac-12 Meet while the UCLA women improved two spots to take eighth place overall. Ahead of the 2021 cross country season, Elizondo helped sign a freshman class of eight elite distance runners from up and down the West Coast.

Elizondo and the distance staff helped guide the UCLA cross country program to a successful season in a shortened 2020 campaign. The Bruin men and women each earned team victories at the Arizona Invitational and Dave Murry Invitational. Michael Mireles earned an individual victory at the Arizona Invite on his freshman debut with the Bruins. Elizondo led six Bruin men to crack 3:50.00 in the 1500m, including Munir Kabbara, who ran 3:47.24 against USC to break the Lebanese national record in the event. Peter Herold etched his name in the UCLA record books after running 8:42.94 in the steeple at Pac-12s, the fifth-fastest time in program history. Elizondo also helped lead the Bruin women to a sweep of the distance events against USC, as Paige Carter (1500m), Emma Tavella (3000m), and Kira Loren (3000m steeplechase) picked up wins against the Trojans.Elizondo helped the distance squad to an impressive 2020 indoor campaign. Junior Christina Rice broke the school record in the 5000m, clocking a time of 16:12.16 at the MPSF Championships. Rice also ran 9:20.02 in the 3000m at the UW Invitational, the second-fastest indoor mark in school history. Arturo Sotomayor (4:01.63) and Chris Morzenti (4:02.15) notched the No. 5 and No. 7 all-time UCLA indoor mile times, respectively, this past season. Graduating senior Colin Burke also etched his name in the program record books in his final season. Burke notched PRs in the 3000m (7:59.34) and 5000m (13:47.78), the No. 5 and No. 2 all-time UCLA marks in the events, respectively. Elizondo also helped guide the men’s DMR squad (Riley Kelly, Chris Morzenti, Arturo Sotomayor, and Ismail Turner) to NCAA Qualification and eventual USTFCCCA All-America accolades.

The 2019 cross country campaign produced the first USTFCCCA All-American in Elizondo’s tenure, as Christina Rice finished 37th at the NCAA Championships to earn the accolade. It was the Bruins’ first female All-American since Ashley Caldwell in 2005. The 2018 cross country season saw Elizondo help guide the women’s and men’s squads to fifth- and sixth-place finishes, respectively, at the Pac-12 Championships. Erika Adler also qualified individually for the NCAA Championships. Elizondo helped coach Robert Brandt to two-three All-America honors (Indoor: 3000m, 5000m; Outdoor: 10,000m) during the 2019 track campaign. He also helped guide the UCLA men’s and women’s squads to victories in the 1500m, 3000m, and 3000m steeplechase in the annual dual meet against USC. Elizondo’s first season on the distance staff in 2017 saw the men’s cross country team finish third at the Pac-12 Championships, with Brandt leading the 8k through Split 6. The men’s squad went on to finish fifth at Regionals and qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Elizondo previously served as head cross country coach and assistant track & field coach at UC Davis from 2014-2017. In his first cross country season at the helm, he led the Aggie women to their first Big West Conference title since 2011 and was named the conference Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year.

Elizondo graduated from UCLA in 1998 with a degree in history. He was a member of three Pac-10 track & field championship teams and helped lead the cross country team to a pair of third-place conference finishes. Elizondo was the UCLA cross country team’s Most Outstanding Freshman in 1994 and was selected first-team All-District IX in 1995.

Former Matador Joseph Blue

CSUN head men’s and women’s track and field coach Justin Johnson has announced the addition of Joseph Blue to the coaching staff. Blue will serve as the throws coach for the Matadors.

“I am excited to announce the addition of Joseph Blue,” Johnson said. “Coach Blue brings a lot of knowledge and experience that will assist in the growth and development of our throws program. Coach Blue and I share a love and vision for the program.”

A 2015 CSUN graduate, Blue is coming back to Northridge from Cal Poly Pomona where he spent the past six seasons mentoring the Bronco throwers. In 2022, Cal Poly Pomona accounted for 77 points and produced conference champions in the men’s shot put and the men’s discus at the CCAA Championship as the Broncos won the men’s CCAA title for the first time since 1998.

The Cal Poly Pomona women’s throwers scored 61 points while Ana Tovi won the CCAA title in the discus and shot put as the Broncos’ women won their first league title in 24 years. Tovi would go on to earn second-team Division II All-American honors in the discus and place 13th in the shot.

In 2019, Blue helped Tovi break a 31-year-old school record in the discus, finishing 14th at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, and eighth at the USATF U-20 Championship. 2019 also Blue guided Aaron Guerra to third at the CCAA’s and earn USTFCCA All-West Region honors. In Blue’s first year (2018), he led Jenna Gonzales to an NCAA provisional-qualifying mark of 45.89 meters, which is currently sixth in school history. Collectively between the men’s and women’s teams, the Broncos earned six All-CCAA honors at the 2018 CCAA Championships to finish the year.

Before arriving at CPP, Blue spent two seasons at Southern Arkansas University. In 2016, Blue made an immediate impact with the SAU track and field throws, multis, and high jumpers. Freshman Sinclair Pitts earned First Team All-GAC in the Hammer throw with a third place Conference finish at the 2016 Great America Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Freshmen Anna Murphy and Chioma Akolam placed second and third in Discus at the 2016 Great America Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Also, Blue coached Erica Fuller to a first-place Great American Conference Title in the Hammer Throw in 2017. In total, Blue has coached 16 Men All-GAC Honors 2016-2017 seasons, 19 Women All-GAC Honors 2016-2017 seasons, one GAC Champion (Women’s Hammer), two GAC Athlete of Week Honorees, and six school records were broken.

Blue competed for CSUN from 2014-15 where he recorded a best of 53-8 1/2 in the shot and 141-8 in the discus. He qualified for The Big West Championship in both seasons, finishing 13th in the shot as a senior. Blue began his collegiate career at Fresno State where he placed sixth in the discus at the 2012 WAC Outdoor Championship and eighth in the shot at the 2013 Mountain West Outdoor Championship.

Since graduating from CSUN with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, Blue has earned his master’s degree in College Counseling and Student Affairs.