LAMC Eagles: Los Angeles Mission Athletics

Steve Laguna joins the LA Mission staff for the 2021-2022 season as the new head coach for the Cross Country and Track & Field programs, managing the men and women in both. He comes to the program with extensive experience and success at almost every level of Cross Country and Track & Field.

While at CSUN from 2013-2016, Laguna took a program in dire condition and recruited high school state finalist and other coveted recruits from Southern California that would lead a perennial bottom dwelling men's team to one that would move into the top half of the conference (something never achieved since the university had joined the Big West Conference) and set team records for team times. Additionally, he worked with athletes like Alex Monsivaiz, who would qualify for NCAA regionals in the 800, and conference title contenders Michael Merchan in the 1500, as well as other athletes in numerous events.

In his second year at Cal State LA, Laguna coached the Golden Eagles to a surprising third-place finish in the California Collegiate Athletic Association in cross country for the 2011 season, placing three runners in the top-10 to earn All-CCAA honors, recording their best team finish since 2007. That followed with a dominating show in the middle distances at the 2012 CCAA women’s outdoor track and field championships with Valerie Sanchez winning both the 800-meter and 1,500 championships and Lisa Ohberg earning All-CCAA honors in the same events. That same season Sanchez also earned All-American status in the mile in indoor track, while Ohberg earned All-American honors in the 1,500 in outdoor. In his final 2013 season, off a cross country season that saw two of his athletes earn All-CCAA , he coached Sabrina Lopez to the NCAA Finals in track in the 10,000, while his returning All-American, Ohberg, repeated as an All-American, finishing 2nd in the country. Cal State L.A. had a conference champion in the women’s 10,000 meters twice and earned six other All-CCAA awards in the women’s 800, 1,500 and 5,000 during his tenure, and many of the schools top 10 performances were athletes coached by him.

Prior to this, Laguna was an assistant coach at Cerritos College, where he helped the women’s cross country team to a 16th-place finish at the state championships and the men’s team to a 10th-place finish in 2009. In the spring of 2010, both the men’s and women’s track and field teams at Cerritos finished third in the state. Laguna coached multiple athletes to both the Southern California and State championships and also coached one athlete to a school record in the 800 meters at the USATF Junior Championships of that year.

Prior to Cerritos College, Laguna was at East Los Angeles College for four years, first as an assistant coach and then head coach for the cross country and track and field programs. He was instrumental in the programs’ success as they reached top-10 finishes respectively. Individual state champion and school record holder Oscar Ogwaro was among the athletes he coached.

Laguna was also the head girls cross country and track and field coach at his alma mater Rosemead High School, where his teams captured three consecutive league titles in his five years there, with his 800 meter athlete running a school record at the California state finals.

In addition to other stints at El Monte, Alhambra, and Huntington Park high schools and Rio Hondo Junior College, Laguna was a volunteer coach at USC, where he was involved with assisting the head distance coach with athletes like All-American Duane Solomon.

Laguna possesses USATF Level-I Certification.

He graduated from USC with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and he received his Master’s from Cal State L.A. in political science. While at USC, he competed in the track and field and cross country programs and was also in the marching band. He currently teaches political science at various community colleges.

Laguna has been married to his wife, Emily, for 11 years and they are the proud parents of their 9 year old boy, Desmond, and 6 year old girl, Corazon. Coach Laguna continues to enjoy running competitively on occasion and travel to various regions of the globe.