Bob Lanza has been an assistant coach for the men’s track team for 50+ years.  He brings much experience to the coaching staff after serving as track coach and physical education instructor for 33 years at Sacramento City College.  He retired from teaching in 2003.  He currently coaches the high jump.

Since 1985, as head Men’s Track Coach, Bob has coached 103 individual conference champions, 15 school record holders, 35 Nor-Cal champions, 17 State champions and 115 All-State performers. He has also coached many conference championship teams, Nor-Cal Championship teams and State team finishers. Included are championship teams in the Camino Norte Conference in 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994; Bay Valley Conference in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2001; Nor-Cal Champions in 1995, 1997, 2001; Top three in Nor-Cal in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1998, State Runner-Up in 1997, and top ten finishers in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, and 1998.

A large number of Coach Lanza’s athletes have gone on to compete and graduate at the 4-year level and then compete at the Olympic level. Albert Miller, Jamie Nieto and Malachi Davis have all participated in the Olympic Games after leaving Sacramento City College. Coach Lanza served as the Fiji Track coach at the 1984 Olympic Games where he coached Albert Miller, a former SCC athlete, in the decathlon. Jamie Nieto, After leaving Sac City, went on to become the U.S. Trials Champion and finished 4th in the Olympic Games in 2004. Malachi Davis was the State Champion in the 400 meters while at SCC and then competed for Great Britain in the 2004 Olympics.

Born and raised in Oakland, Bob is a graduate of Tech High School, Oakland City College, and San Francisco State University, where he earne4d his B.A. Degree and teaching credential. He earned his M.A. in Physical education at Idaho State University.

He started his teaching and coaching career at Tulare Union High School in 1963 coaching football, wrestling, cross country and track. While working on his M.A. degree he was a graduate assistant and assistant track coach for the 1968-69 season. The track team from ISU won the Big Sky Championship that year.

Following his graduation in 1969, he was hired as both a physical education instructor and assistant coach for both cross country and track at Sacramento City College. He taught there for 33 years moving up to serve as head cross country coach from 1984-1999 and men’s track head coach from 1985-2002.

One highlight for Coach Lanza has been the opportunity to work with all of the seven-plus foot high jumpers that make up the Sacramento City College Top ten list, including the only two-time State Champion, Kurtis Dilley in 2001 and 2002. He was selected by the California Track Coaches Association as Track and Field Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1990.