Francesca Green named UTEP's eighth head track coach; she spent the previous 20 years at Arizona.
Francesca Green, who spent the last 20 years as an assistant track coach at Arizona, was named UTEP's eighth head track coach, UTEP athletic director Jim Senter announced.
She will also serve as UTEP's head cross-country coach. She replaces Mika Laaksonen as head track and field coach, after he retired on June 19. She is the only Black head coach on UTEP's staff and the first Black female head coach in the school's history.
“I am truly honored and excited to join the UTEP family as the new head coach of track and field and cross country,” Green said. “UTEP’s rich history, passionate fan base, and commitment to excellence provide a unique platform to build a program routed in high integrity, hard work, and a great student-athlete experience.
"I want to sincerely thank Jim Senter for giving me this incredible opportunity to lead such a prestigious program fostered in a rich track and field and cross country tradition. I look forward to working with our student-athletes, staff, and the El Paso community to continue the tradition of success, foster student-athlete development, and elevate UTEP’s presence both regionally and nationally.”
Said Senter: “We are delighted to select Francesca Green as our new head coach for track and field and cross country. She stood out during the interview process, not only for her coaching acumen, but for the bond she has forged with her student-athletes, and her unwavering commitment to helping them grow both competitively and personally.
"We are thrilled to launch a new era in UTEP Track and Field’s proud history with Francesca at the helm of the program.”
Green spent the past 21 years on the Athletics staff at the University of Arizona, including the last 20 with the Wildcats’ track and field program. In that capacity, she served as director of operations (2005-2009), assistant coach for sprints and relays (2009-2021), and associate head coach (2021-2025).
During her stint with the Wildcats, Green coached 20 NCAA All-Americans, 30 national qualifiers, 17 school record holders, four Pac-12 champions, one Big 12 champion, two Olympians, and five Olympic Trials qualifiers.
She was also an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2009 Pan American Games. Green was the head manager for Team USA at the World Championships in Russia, China, and Poland from 2013 to 2015.
She's a graduate of Washington State, where she won a Pac-10 long jump title in 1998 and was an All-American in 1996 and 1997. She competed in the 1996 World Junior Championships.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at [email protected]; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP hires Arizona assistant Francesca Green as head track coach
Category: General Sports
