UCLA Track & Field Director Mike Maynard Resigns

Late last week, Mike Maynard, UCLA’s Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, resigned, effective at the conclusion of the 2017 season, after serving as the head of UCLA’s Track & Field programs for the past five years. Prior to becoming Director of Track & Field, Maynard was the coach of the UCLA men’s program for three years.

The press release on the official site quotes UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero praising the job that Maynard has done. Guerrero is quoted as saying:

I want to thank Mike for his commitment and service to UCLA. He is an outstanding coach and role model and served our student-athletes well during his tenure. We wish him the very best in the future.

While, from the release, it may seem like an amicable parting, it looks like it may be performance-driven. UCLA has historically been a collegiate track & field power and, under Maynard, neither the men nor the women were able to win a conference championship. Maynard led the men’s team to seven Top 4 finishes and the women’s team to four Top 5 finishes.

But, it looks like that wasn’t good enough to keep Maynard in Westwood — and rightly so — as he was unable to win a men’s conference championship in eight seasons or a women’s conference championship in the last five seasons.

The Track & Field teams need someone who can lead them back to prominence in both the conference as well as nationally. It had become clear that Maynard was not the person to do that based on his inability to deliver a single conference championship.

UCLA will be conducting a nationwide search for a new Director of Track & Field and Cross Country.


Go Bruins!