Louisiana Tech adds Blue to track and field coaching staff
Louisiana Tech’s Director of Track & Field/Cross Country, Brian Johnson, announced the addition of Joseph Blue as an assistant coach to the program on Thursday.
Blue oversees the throws after spending the last two seasons at California State University Northridge. During his two seasons at CSUN, Blue coached 15 Big West All- Conference performers and the 2024 conference champion in the women’s shot put while also coaching the 2024 conference women’s discus runner-up.
A 2015 CSUN graduate, Blue returned to Northridge from Cal Poly Pomona, where he spent 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 earned second-team Division II All-American honors in the discus and placed 13th in the shot put.
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. In 2019, Blue also guided Aaron Guerra to third at the CCAA’s and earned 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, 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.
Blue also 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, recording 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 in Communications, Blue earned his master’s in College Counseling and Student Affairs.
