 
Email: asythe@csulb.edu
Andy Sythe's tenure as head coach at Long Beach State has been characterized by individual and team success as well as scholar-athlete achievement in both track and field and cross country. A two-time Big West Men's Coach of the Year (2006 and 2008), Sythe is now in his 21st season at the helm of the cross country and indoor/outdoor track & field teams at The Beach. He has developed a combined program that is among the best in the Big West Conference as well as at the regional and national level. In 2008, the men's squad won their second Big West title, compiling 185 total team points. The 49ers had 21 individuals qualify for the NCAA Regionals, while six of those advanced to the national championship meet where Sythe saw two of his athletes, Brent Gray and Chris Richardson, earn All-America honors for the second time in their 49er careers. The men's team also finished ahead of the pack at the Big West championships in 2006, while placing 16th at the NCAA Championships, their highest team finish since 1998 when the Sythe-led team took 17th. Since the inception of NCAA track and field regional qualifying in 2003, The Beach has sent 108 qualifiers to the postseason meet. In 2005 and 2006, Sythe sent more qualifiers to the NCAA Regionals than any other men's program in the Big West Conference. While under Sythe's direction, the 49er track and field program has been consistently ranked among the top 20 percent of over 320 NCAA Division I schools. Sythe has also directed the cross country squad to a number of top performances. In 2005 and 2006 the cross country team had the best combined finished over any two-year run in school-history. In 1990, Sythe's second year working with 49er cross country, the women took second in the conference, the best finish in school history, until 2006, when the team equaled that mark. "The mission of our program is to challenge for and ultimately win conference championships and we are equally driven to continue our improvement at the national and regional level in both cross country and track and field," said Sythe. "I believe that shifting more resources to the distance program has helped us achieve that goal." Since Sythe's arrival, the 49ers have rewritten the record books. Currently, 60 indoor and 32 outdoor school records have been established by Sythe-coached athletes in cross country and track and field. Strong academic performance has also been a common theme in Sythe's career as a coach and athlete. Sythe was an outstanding student-athlete at San Diego State where he graduated in 1987 with honors and a bachelor's degree in physical education. As a coach, 110 of his student-athletes have achieved perfect 4.0 semester grade point averages. Through his guidance, 253 athletes have been named to an academic all-conference team. On the national level, he has produced 23 All-Academic teams in cross country and track and field. Individually, Sythe has helped guide his student-athletes to attain the highest level of academic achievement with seven Co-SIDA Academic All-Americans, two Phi Beta Kappas and one Rhodes Scholar. Sythe was hired in the fall of 1989 as the head coach at Long Beach State. At age 23, he was the youngest NCAA Division I coach in the United States. Sythe has had the very best mentors in the sport throughout his high school and college career. As an athlete under Dixon Farmer at San Diego State (1984-87), Sythe captained his team that ranked among the top 10 in the nation. As an assistant for Ralph Lindeman at Long Beach State (1988-89), Sythe furthered his skills under the tutelage of another of the nations most respected coaches. In 1989, his mentor Lindeman was tabbed the Big West Coach of the Year. Both Farmer and Lindeman since have served on Olympic staffs for the United States. Track and field and cross country are a passion for Sythe, and his dedication to the sport is reflected by his involvement beyond the scope of the University. Sythe has served on national committees with USA Track & Field and the U.S. Track Coaches Association. He has served on the Executive Committee for Men's Development with USATF, been co-meet director for the 1999 USATF Senior Cross Country National Championships, and recently completed over 10 years of service as Men's Track & Field Chair and board member for the Southern California Association of USA Track & Field. Sythe also completed four years of service with the Executive Committee and Rules Committee for the USTFCCCA. Sythe has coached at clinics throughout the U.S. and worked with the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles in its coaching instructional program. Recognized for his success and his dedicated work on the national level, Sythe was selected by his peers to be the head coach for the men's West team at the 1995 United States Olympic Festival, held in Colorado Springs, Colo. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach for the team champion West team at the 1993 Olympic Festival in San Antonio, Texas. A native of Los Gatos, Calif., Sythe and his wife, Maribeth, reside in Long Beach with their two daughters, Sierra and Callie June. |
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