@CoachLucais | 
@lucaism
BY THE NUMBERS
Lucais MacKay has coached:
- 3 NCAA Champions
- 2 NCAA Runners-Up
- 69 Conference Finalists
- 27 Conference Medalists
- 7 Conference Champions
- 53 Top-10 School Performances
Lucais MacKay enters his third year as the team’s assistant coach in charge of throws after joining the University of Arizona coaching staff on Aug. 20, 2022.
During the 2024 outdoor season, MacKay coached six scorers at the Pac-12 Championships: Jared O’Riley (third, javelin), Jesse Avina (fourth, javelin), Sam Hala’ufia (fifth, discus and sixth, shot put), Tyler Michelini (eighth, shot put), Ava David (fourth, hammer), and Tapenisa Havea (sixth, shot put and sixth, discus). He also had seven Wildcats qualify for the NCAA First Round Championships in nine events. During the season, the throwers posted five first-place finishes and five top 10 all-time marks in school history. In the indoor season, the throwers had eight first-place victories, and the men’s shot put team was ranked the best in the nation by the USTFCCCA’s Event Squad Rankings over the course of the season.
In his first indoor season at Arizona, MacKay helped coach senior Jordan Geist to an NCAA championship in the indoor men’s shot put. Geist was the first Wildcat to be crowned a National Champion in any event since 2013. Additionally, Geist also broke the school record in the event (21.48m), and was named a First Team All-American and the USTFCCCA West Region Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. Geist followed that up with a championship victory in the outdoor shot put at the NCAA Championships, winning the event on his final career throw. Geist also placed third in the hammer throw at the outdoor championships with a school record throw of 75.97m (249-3). Alongside Geist, the throws’ squad had four other competitors at the NCAA Championships: Youssef Koudssi (11th discus, 18th shot put), Tapenisa Havea (19th discus), Zach Landa (20th shot put), and Jared O’Riley (22nd javelin). Geist earned First Team All-America honors and Koudssi earned Second Team All-America honors.
Under MacKay the men’s throwers had a dominant outing at the Pac-12 Championships in 2023. Geist won both the shot put and the hammer throw, O’Riley won the javelin, Landa finished third in the shot put, and Koudssi placed fourth in the shot put and sixth in the discus. For the women, Mackenna Orie placed fourth in the shot put and sixth in the discus, Tapenisa Havea finished sixth in the shot put, and Ava David ended in eighth in the hammer throw. Geist was also named the Pac-12 Field Athlete of the Year and one of The Bowerman Award Finalists.
Prior to Arizona, MacKay spent six years as an Assistant Track & Field Coach at Penn State and was named 2021 and 2017 Mid-Atlantic Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year in outdoor track. He helped the Nittany Lions set school records in the men’s weight throw (24.02m), men’s hammer throw (72.70m), and the men’s javelin (79.91m) during his time with the university. At Penn State, MacKay also coached two more NCAA champions: David Lucas (2018, weight throw) and Nick Miller (2016, hammer throw). Additionally, he also coached two NCAA runners-up: Tyler Merkley (2022, hammer throw) and Chase Ealey (2016, shot put).
MacKay brought a wealth of success, knowledge, and championship-winning experience to the Wildcats with over 20 years of experience in track & field as a coach and student-athlete. MacKay helped lead Penn State to an NCAA Championship in the men’s weight throw, 56 Big Ten Finalists, 20 Big Ten Medalists, and five Big Ten Championships.
Under the guidance of MacKay 27 student-athletes ranked in Penn State’s All-Time Top-10 Outdoor Performances, 14 student-athletes were ranked in the Penn State All-Time Top 5 Indoor Performances, and Collin Burkhart qualified for the 2022 USA Team World U-20 team.
MacKay was a 12-time USATF Championship participant in the hammer throw from 2000-2012. MacKay was a finalist eight times in the hammer throw at the USATF Championships. He won an NCAA Championship in the hammer throw at Georgia in 2003.
While at the University of Georgia, Coach MacKay earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology with a Minor in Psychology in 2005 from Georgia and his Master’s Degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration in June of 2012 from Concordia University, Irvine.
MacKay lives in Tucson with his wife Aly, son Parker, and daughter Mason.
