Tracy Thompson was originally named Assistant Track & Field Coach at California State University San Marcos in July 2015. After a brief hiatus, he returned for his second stint with the program in July 2021.
A native of San Diego and graduate of Morse High School, Thompson oversees all field events for the Cougars, including the jumps and throws disciplines.
During his tenure, Thompson has helped elevate CSUSM's field event program to conference and national prominence. In 2025, he coached Kalathan Laiwa-McKay to a sixth-place finish in the shot put at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, earning First Team All-America honors and becoming CSUSM's first male NCAA Division II Track & Field All-American. In 2026, Thompson coached Jordyn Brooks to an NCAA Division II Championship berth in the long jump, making her just the second female jumper in program history to qualify for the national meet.
Thompson has guided six athletes to a combined 11 USTFCCCA All-West Region honors:
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Jordyn Brooks – Long Jump (2x), Triple Jump
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Danielle Patrick – Pole Vault (2x)
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Lilly McGraw – Pole Vault
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Devin Yarbrough – Long Jump (2x)
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Kalathan Laiwa-McKay – Shot Put (2x)
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Antonio Riggins – Triple Jump
Under Thompson's direction, CSUSM athletes have earned 10 CCAA championship performances and 24 top-three finishes at the CCAA Championships. Seven different athletes have captured conference titles in the shot put, pole vault, long jump, triple jump, heptathlon, and hurdles, helping establish the Cougars as one of the conference's premier field event programs.
In his second season with the Cougars in 2016, Thompson worked primarily with the jumps and throws groups. He coached Frederik Jahr to All-CCAA honors in the high jump, marking the first All-CCAA selection in CSUSM track & field history. Jahr won two events and finished runner-up in two others during the season. Thompson also helped 11 athletes qualify for the CCAA Championships, with nine recording lifetime personal best performances.
Thompson originally joined Steve Scott's staff as a volunteer assistant in 2015. In his first season, he helped eight student-athletes achieve personal-best marks and coached Melissa Olmos to a school record in the high jump while qualifying for both the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Championships.
Prior to joining CSUSM, Thompson spent six seasons at University City High School in San Diego. During that time, he helped lead the Centurions to the 2010 CIF San Diego Section Division I Championship and coached six individual CIF champions, several of whom established new school records.
