A former thrower for the Vulcans, Jerry Koza enters his third season as an assistant coach with California (PA) track & field teams in 2023.
Koza helped four individuals qualify for the PSAC Championships in the outdoor campaign last year. Matt Collins ranked among the top 10 on the league’s performance list in both the discus throw and hammer throw, as his mark of 46.64 meters (153-0.0 feet) in the discus throw ranked fifth-best in the conference during the spring. Additionally, Shantel Springer became the first women’s thrower to compete at the league meet since the 2019 outdoor championships.
A native of Westmoreland County, Koza was a member of the Cal men's track & field team from 2015-18 and competed in four throwing events during his career. He improved his personal best in both the weight throw and discus throw each season with the Vulcans. In 2018, Koza set a mark of 13.30 meters (43-7.75 feet) in the weight throw at the Grand Valley State Big Meet and posted a personal record in the discus throw at the Paul Kaiser Classic.
Koza, who was a four-time member of the Cal U AD Honor Roll, was a three-sport athlete at the scholastic level while attending Yough. In the private sector, Koza served as an environmental inspector in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.
Koza earned his bachelor's degree from Cal in environmental studies with a concentration in fisheries and wildlife biology in 2018.
He resides in Ruffs Dale, Pennsylvania.
