Central Washington University Athletics

Matt Layten arrived at Central Washington University in September 2023 to serve as cross country, distance, and middle distance coach. During his first year with the Wildcats, Layten contributed to newfound success for the Wildcat distance and middle distance programs. In Layten’s first 3 months, he guided Johan Correa to the NCAA West Region Cross Country Championship and 2 weeks later to a 17th place finish at the 2023 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, earning Central Washington Men’s Cross Country its first NCAA All-American Honor in program history. On the track, Layten oversaw 7 new additions to the CWU All-Time List, including 4 new school records in the Indoor Mile, 3000 Meters, and 5000 Meters, as well as in the Outdoor 800 Meters. These results also culminated with team success at the Indoor GNAC Track & Field Championships in 2024 that saw the most points scored by the Wildcat men in 12 years, a 2nd place women’s team finish, and the most points scored by the men’s and women’s distance and middle distance athletes during the meet in 14 years. During the 2024 outdoor track season, Layten also saw the men’s 800 meter group earn a national USTFCCCA #EventSquad Ranking as high as 12th in NCAA Division II, culminating in an individual Outdoor GNAC Championship in the 800 meters by Johan Correa in May 2024. At the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championship, Johan Correa earned First Team All-American Honors with a 4th place finish in the 800 Meter Final, and the only athlete in the Final to achieve personal bests in both the Preliminary and the Final round as well as the school record in the event. 

Layten came to the Wildcats after coaching previously at the University of Louisville, assisting in the Cardinals earning their highest program finish at the ACC Indoor and Outdoor Conference Championships in 2023. Layten worked with the distance and middle distance athletes, helping guide the Cardinals to 9 new performances on the team’s All-Time List, and a new school record in the 10,000 meters by Ian Kibiwot in Spring 2023.

Prior to his time at Louisville, Layten served as the Head Cross Country Coach and Distance/Middle Distance Coach at the University of North Texas. In track and field for the Mean Green, Layten oversaw the highest points-producing distance program at North Texas since joining Conference USA. Layten guided Alec Esposito to a conference runner-up finish in the Men’s Indoor Mile Conference-USA Championship in 2022, Victor Neiva to a school record in the 10,000 meters at the 2022 Mt. SAC Invitational. 

In cross country, the men’s program won two team titles at the UTA Gerald Richey Invitational, which included 3 North Texas runners breaking the course record, and at the Texas A&M Invitational, where North Texas defeated Texas A&M by 1 point at the Dale Watts Cross Country Course in College Station. The first championship season under Layten’s guidance saw the Mean Green men finish 3rd at the 2021 Conference USA Cross Country Championships, the program’s highest finish since 2018 and just 12 points shy of the conference team title. During the 2021 season, the men’s program was ranked as high as 3rd in the South Central Regional Rankings by the USTFCCCA, and included 4 athletes receiving All-Conference USA Honors, 2 receiving All-NCAA South Central Region Honors, and 2 athletes being named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team. 

Prior to arriving at the University of North Texas, Layten spent four years with the cross country and track and field program at the United States Air Force Academy. Layten, who initially joined the staff as the team’s Director of Operations in 2017, worked as a coach for the Falcons’ middle distance and distance runners during both the track and cross country seasons.

Layten contributed to the Air Force distance program’s success during the 2021 track and field season that culminated in a 16th place women’s team finish at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Layten contributed to this team success that included a National Championship performance by Mahala Norris in the women’s steeplechase, and a 3rd place finish by Maria Mettler in the 10,000 meters who was also the top American finisher in the event. The 2021 track and field season concluded with Layten assisting two Falcons to the United States Olympic Track and Field Team Trials in Eugene, Oregon which included Mahala Norris and Maria Mettler qualifying for the finals in the steeplechase and 10,000 meters. During the 2021 season, 4 Air Force athletes qualified for the NCAA West Preliminaries, set a new school record in the 1500 meters, and accounted for 3 Mountain West Conference Championships in the 1500m, steeplechase, and 5000 meters. 

During the 2020 cross country season, Layten helped coach the Air Force men’s team to the 2020 Mountain West Cross Country team title, along with a 19th place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Within 11 days during the rescheduled 2020 Cross Country season, Air Force’s Mahala Norris won the Mountain West Cross Country Championship, finished 4th at the NCAA Indoor Championships and 4th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Norris would then go on to be named the USTFCCCA Mountain Region Athlete of the Year for cross country. 

The success continued into the shortened 2020 track season, as the Falcons’ middle distance and distance athletes combined for one Academy record, one conference title and two appearances at the NCAA Indoor Championships by Michael Rhoads and Maria Mettler. 

In the 2019 track and field season, Layten helped produce a Mountain West Conference Champion in the 800 meters, as well as two All-American performances, including Michael Rhoads in the 800m and Jaci Smith in the 5000m. Layten also saw the women’s cross country team place eighth at the 2019 NCAA Cross Country Championships – the best Division I finish in program history – and account for a pair of All-American runners. Layten was also a part of two conference championship teams in track and field, where the Falcons claimed the 2018 Mountain West Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championship titles, as well as 2 top 20 team finishes at the 2017 and 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships. 

Prior to arriving at Air Force, Layten was an assistant coach at San José State University, where he worked with the cross country program and the distance runners of the track team. He helped with the resurrection of the Spartans’ track program, assisting the men’s cross country program in becoming a top-15 team in the West Region and helping both the men’s and women’s squads to their highest finishes at the Mountain West Cross Country Championships. Layten helped the Spartans produce their first qualifiers to the NCAA West Preliminary and a fifth place finish in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the 2015 U.S. Junior National Championships.

Prior to his stint at San José State, Layten served as the head cross country coach at Hillsdale High School and was an assistant track coach at South San Francisco High School in California. He co-founded the Cal Poly Distance Club in San Luis Obispo, Calif., in 2010, and served as its president and assistant coach. The collegiate-aged group of runners recorded two NIRCA regional championships and a top-10 finish at the 2011 NIRCA National Championships. 

Layten served as a Regional Representative for the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association’s (USTFCCCA) Division I Cross Country Executive Committee from 2019-2022. Layten also holds a USATF Level 2 certification in the endurance events and is USTFCCCA-certified in strength and conditioning. Layten holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from California Polytechnic State University and a master’s degree in kinesiology from San José State University.