John Goldman, one of the most successful community college cross country coaches in the state, is now in his fourth season as the Cerritos College Director of Cross Country. Additionally, Goldman also handles the recruiting and coaching of distance runners for the men's and women's track and field teams. Last year, he led the women’s team to its second consecutive conference championship and its third consecutive Top 10 finish at the state championships.  The men’s team also faired well, placing third in the conference and 11^th at the state championships. In three years, the teams have a combined four Top 10 State Championship finishes, while producing 10 All-South Coast Conference athletes, two SCC Athletes of the Year and one community college All-American.  In his three years in the South Coast Conference, Coach Goldman has earned three conference Coach of the Year awards. 

Last summer, Goldman was appointed the head track and field coach for the United States Track & Field team for the Maccabiah Games in Israel. The teams combined for 18 medals, which included six gold, seven silver and five bronze, more than any other country. The Maccabiah Games are the third largest sporting event in the world.

          From 1996-2001, Goldman, 39, coached the Orange Coast College men's and women's cross country teams to five state championships (four for the women and one for the men), including being one of only two head coaches to win both state titles in the same year (1999). During his tenure at Orange Coast, Goldman also led his teams to a combined seven Orange Empire Conference championships, four Southern California Championships, while also coaching 12 individual state champions. He was recognized as the OEC Coach of the Year seven times, the California Community College State Coach of the Year in 1997, 1999 and 2001, as well as the California Coaches Association State Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999.

          "The addition of John Goldman has added a great deal to our cross country and track programs," said Doug Wells, the Cerritos College Director of Track and Field. "He has a long list of accomplishments that can't be matched by many people. He is a great recruiter and he has brought in many outstanding student-athletes that have made both programs even stronger than they already were. We are very fortunate to have him at Cerritos."

            Doug Wells spent his first 10 years on campus as an assistant football coach, as well as the head coach of the track and field program. Now retired from coaching football, Wells is serving as one of the assistant coaches with the cross country program, while he also maintains his role as the director of the track and field program. Wells has had a great deal of success as a track and field coach, as he led the women’s team to the state championship last season. In his 10 years at Taft College, before he came to Cerritos, he guided his teams to two state championships, while Wells was named California Coach of the Year twice. At Cerritos, he was named the California Coaches Association Coach of the Year for the third time in his career, while he was awarded the Coach of the Year honor by the California Track and Running News five times.

            This past summer, Wells was chosen to serve as the Head Manager for the U.S. National Track and Field Team. Wells was selected by a special staff selection meeting of the International Competition Committee at the USA Track and Field National Convention. He guided them at the NACAC Under-23 Team, which was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on July 7-9.

            Wells attended Porterville Union High School, where he was a football and track star. He transferred to the University of Utah, where he competed in the NCAA Championships and was an All-American as a decathlete, while also playing fullback on the football team. Wells continued to compete in track events and won several shot put and discus National Championships in Master’s competition.

            Wells and his wife Darlene reside in Carson and have five children – Ron, Rene, Cherri, Gordon and Jason, along with six grandchildren.

            In addition to his duties as the women’s track and field head coach, Michael Allen also serves as an assistant with the men’s and women’s cross country program. He has spent the last nine years as the Cerritos College women’s track and field coach, and has coached over a dozen state champions. This past season, he coached them to the state championship, which was the second for the Falcons in school history. The year before, they placed a close second at the state championships, while the team has also recorded a third place finish, a fourth place finish and two fifth place finishes. In his first year at the Norwalk campus, Allen also served as one of the defensive line coaches on the football team.

            Nine new track and field school records have been set during Allen’s tenure, including April Brown, who became just the second person to win the 100-meters at the State Championships three seasons in a row. Coach Allen has led the Cerritos women’s track & field team to some of its greatest successes, including three Southern California Championships top five finishes in the last five years, the state runner-up award in 2005 and the State Championship in 2006.  For his effort, Coach Allen has received the conference Coach of the Year award in both 2005 and 2006 and the State Coach of the Year award in 2006.

            Allen came to Cerritos after spending eight years (1991-98) at Banning High, where he helped lead the Pilots to the 1991 LA City Championship. Prior to coaching at Banning, Allen coached at Los Angeles Harbor College from 1980-87 and guided them to five Western State Conference championships and a 45-0 dual meet record.

            Allen, who was an All-Marine League selection in football and track and field at Banning High, was also a two-time All-Conference selection in both sports at LA Harbor. Allen went on to earn All-Conference honors for two years at Long Beach State, while he also qualified for the NCAA Championships two years in a row. Allen earned his Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Long Beach State and also works full-time for the County of Los Angeles Probation Department.

            Allen and his wife Vicki and one child (Aja) and live in Long Beach.

            Assistant coach Brian Bivens is now in his first season as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s cross country programs, as well as serving as an assistant coach with the with the men’s and women’s track and field teams, specializing in the sprinting events.

            Bivens began his coaching career in the mid 1990’s as a volunteer sprint coach for Edison High School.  His quick success led him to being named co-head coach of the cross country and track and field teams at Calvary Chapel High in Costa Mesa.  Under his leadership the girl’s squad qualified for CIF.

            In 1999, Bivens completed his student teaching at Fountain Valley High School and served as the sprint coach for the Barons.  In 2000, Bivens was hired as a teacher and head track and field/cross country coach at Kennedy High School in La Palma.  At Kennedy, Bivens led his some his teams to national recognition, producing some of the best sprinters in the nation while leading his program to two runner-up performances at the Orange County Championships.  His cross country teams have also faired well, making appearances in CIF.

            Bivens was a standout quarter-miler at Long Beach City College, competing under Ron Allice and later following Coach Allice to USC, where he competed and received his Bachelor’s degree in Religion.

            Bivens has extensive background in physical therapy receiving valuable training at the Restor Physical Therapy Clinic.  There he worked with professional and Olympic athletes and was an important part of their overall training regimen.