Coach Tom Burleson begins his 28th season as head coach of the Coyotes women’s cross country team in 2017, while serving as interim head coach for track and field from 2015-17.
In 2010, the Coyotes earned their first top-10 NCAA West Region finish with Samantha Borman earning All-CCAA honors. The Coyotes placed 11th at the regional held at Kaneohe, Hawaii, a year later.
Burleson coached the Coyotes at the Division III level from 1984-90, in an era when the teams competed in dual meets. His squads won 35 of 39 dual meets and made seven straight appearances in the NCAA Division III West Regional. The team placed fourth in 1987 and finished sixth twice (1985 and 1988).
CSUSB discontinued the sport in 1991 and Burleson moved on to Chaffey College where he served six years as head men’s and women’s track coach. He was named the Foothill Conference women’s track coach of the year in 1995 after his team won its first conference title.
He returned to CSUSB when the women’s cross country program was reinstated in 1997 as a Division II participant in the CCAA.
Burleson earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Cal Lutheran University.
Under his direction, the Coyotes women’s cross country team has been named an United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) scholastic all-America team in 15 of the past 16 years, posting cumulative grade point averages higher than 3.10.
Tom and wife Cindy make their home at Lake Arrowhead.
