Track and Field
Scott Steffan
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach | Vertical Jumps
- Phone:
- 719-333-4964
Scott Steffan, the 2013 National Pole Vault Coach of the Year and a three-time USTFCCCA Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year, is in his 12th season with the Air Force track and field team, serving as the event coach for the vertical jumps. He was promoted to associate head coach prior to the start of the 2014 season, after spending the first six years as an assistant coach.
Since his arrival in 2008, five members of the men’s pole vault team – Dylan Bell, Nick Frawley, Kyle Pater, Cale Simmons, Joey Uhle – have combined for 15 All-America awards, while two high jumpers – Taylor Smith, Shelley Spires – have combined for five. Frawley, who claimed a pair of top-three finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (second in 2008, third in 2010) and Spires, who earned first-team status during three of her four national appearances, are two of the program’s most decorated Division I All-Americans, with four overall selections apiece.
Steffan has coached the Falcons to 15 Mountain West titles in the pole vault, including the first-ever women’s outdoor title (Kathryn Tomczak, 2019). The men have dominated the top of the podium at the conference meet, winning eight of the last 10 indoor titles and six of the last seven outdoor titles. Uhle accounted for five conference titles (2013 indoor, 2014 co-indoor, 2014 outdoor, 2015 indoor, 2015 outdoor) during his career, while Simmons (2012 indoor, 2012 outdoor, 2013 outdoor), Bell (2014 co-indoor, 2016 indoor, 2016 outdoor), Frawley (2008 indoor, 2010 indoor) and Pater (2017 indoor, 2017 outdoor) have all claimed multiple titles. Simmons also holds the conference’s all-time (18’4¾” in 2013) and championship-meet (18’1¾” in 2012) outdoor records, while Pater set an indoor championship-meet mark of 18’6½” at the 2017 MW Indoor Championships.
He has also seen his high jumpers account for eight Mountain West titles, including two sweeps (Rachel Herald/Smith in 2014; John Reynolds/Spires in 2016) during the outdoor season. Spires also set a new all-time MW standard of 6’1½” in 2017, while Smith accounted for a conference and championship-meet record clearance of 7’2½” at the 2016 championship meet.
The men have amassed 43 all-conference (top-three) finishes in the pole vault since 2008, including sweeps of the medalist positions at the 2013 outdoor, 2014 outdoor, 2015 indoor, 2015 outdoor championship meets. Highlighted by a five-meet span of at least five scoring finishers, the men’s pole vault has accounted for 73 top-eight finishes during Steffan’s tenure. His high jump squad has accounted for 12 all-MW finishes since he took over the event group in 2014, claiming multiple medals during two indoor meets (2015, 2016) and accounting for 20 scoring finishes. The women have earned seven all-conference awards in both the high jump and pole vault (14 total), while the two event groups have combined for 42 top-eight placements.
Steffan has coached six of the eight Air Force vaulters that have cleared 18 feet, as the men have continually rewritten the Academy record book during his watch. Backed by current Academy records from Pater (indoor, 18’6½”) and Simmons (outdoor, 18’4¾”), the Falcons have posted seven of the top-10 indoor marks and six of the top-10 outdoor marks in program history.
In 2013, Air Force was the only team in the nation to have three vaulters clear 18 feet during the outdoor season, as the Simmons twins (Cale – 18’4¾”, Rob – 18’0½”) and Uhle (18’1”) were all ranked in the nation’s top 12.
His female pole vaulters have completely rewritten the Academy’s record book since 2008, as the entire top-10 standings for both the indoor and outdoor seasons have come under his watch. Steffan saw Tomczak become the program’s first-ever 14-foot vaulter with program-best marks of 14’0½” (indoor) and 14’1¼” (outdoor), while four others have surpassed the 13-foot bar and the long-standing facility record of the Cadet Outdoor Track and Field Complex has been broken twice.
Three of the four Air Force records in the high jump have happened since Steffan took over the event group, with Smith setting the men’s indoor record of 7’2½” in 2016 and Spires recorded program-best clearances of 6’1½” during both the indoor and outdoor seasons of 2017. Overall, the men have made seven improvements to the program’s top-10 list (four indoor, three outdoor), while the women have accounted for six total additions (two indoor, four outdoor).
Steffan has been honored by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Association’s Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year three times (2012 outdoor, 2013 indoor, 2013 outdoor), while his athletes have earned the region’s Field Athlete of the Year four times (Frawley – 2009 indoor, Simmons – 2012 indoor; Spires – 2017 indoor, 2017 outdoor). Smith was a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2016, while five of his athletes have combined for 12 academic awards from the USTFCCCA.
The success of Steffan and his athletes has not been limited to the collegiate arena, as he coached Simmons to a runner-up finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials and a spot on Team USA at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Steffan, who has continued to work with several former Academy vaulters through the Air Force World Class Athlete Program, saw three of his Air Force vaulters advance to the finals of the 2016 Trials, as Simmons, Bell and Uhle all earned top-10 finishes during the preliminary round.
Steffan joined the Falcons' program after spending seven years at the University of New Mexico, where he coached the pole vault and men's multi-event athletes.
He rebuilt New Mexico's pole vault program during his time in Albuquerque. Under his watch, three pole vaulters competed at the NCAA Championships, while at least three qualified for the regional championships during each of his last four years and eight Lobos earned all-conference honors. Steffan coached Robert Caldwell to All-America status and led Derek Mackel to the NCAA Midwest Regional record of 18'1".
In addition to his work with the pole vault team, Steffan also improved the Lobos' decathlon and heptathlon teams. He guided New Mexico to two decathlon titles, as well as the first Mountain West Conference heptathlon crown. Overall, he coached six all-conference honorees in the multi-events, as well as two NCAA participants.
Prior to joining the UNM staff, Steffan spent three years at Wichita State University. While there, he coached All-Americans in the pole vault, triple jump and heptathlon. His women's pole vault team finished first, second and third at the Missouri Valley Conference championships during each of his three years.
Steffan began his collegiate coaching career at the University of Virginia in 1991. During his six years at Virginia, he coached All-American athletes in the high jump, heptathlon, decathlon, 400-meter hurdles and long jump. He also guided 22 Atlantic Coast Conference champions.
An all-Western Athletic Conference decathlete for New Mexico, Steffan graduated from the school in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in education. A native of Aztec, N.M., Steffan has two sons – Jake and Trey.
Since his arrival in 2008, five members of the men’s pole vault team – Dylan Bell, Nick Frawley, Kyle Pater, Cale Simmons, Joey Uhle – have combined for 15 All-America awards, while two high jumpers – Taylor Smith, Shelley Spires – have combined for five. Frawley, who claimed a pair of top-three finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (second in 2008, third in 2010) and Spires, who earned first-team status during three of her four national appearances, are two of the program’s most decorated Division I All-Americans, with four overall selections apiece.
Steffan has coached the Falcons to 15 Mountain West titles in the pole vault, including the first-ever women’s outdoor title (Kathryn Tomczak, 2019). The men have dominated the top of the podium at the conference meet, winning eight of the last 10 indoor titles and six of the last seven outdoor titles. Uhle accounted for five conference titles (2013 indoor, 2014 co-indoor, 2014 outdoor, 2015 indoor, 2015 outdoor) during his career, while Simmons (2012 indoor, 2012 outdoor, 2013 outdoor), Bell (2014 co-indoor, 2016 indoor, 2016 outdoor), Frawley (2008 indoor, 2010 indoor) and Pater (2017 indoor, 2017 outdoor) have all claimed multiple titles. Simmons also holds the conference’s all-time (18’4¾” in 2013) and championship-meet (18’1¾” in 2012) outdoor records, while Pater set an indoor championship-meet mark of 18’6½” at the 2017 MW Indoor Championships.
He has also seen his high jumpers account for eight Mountain West titles, including two sweeps (Rachel Herald/Smith in 2014; John Reynolds/Spires in 2016) during the outdoor season. Spires also set a new all-time MW standard of 6’1½” in 2017, while Smith accounted for a conference and championship-meet record clearance of 7’2½” at the 2016 championship meet.
The men have amassed 43 all-conference (top-three) finishes in the pole vault since 2008, including sweeps of the medalist positions at the 2013 outdoor, 2014 outdoor, 2015 indoor, 2015 outdoor championship meets. Highlighted by a five-meet span of at least five scoring finishers, the men’s pole vault has accounted for 73 top-eight finishes during Steffan’s tenure. His high jump squad has accounted for 12 all-MW finishes since he took over the event group in 2014, claiming multiple medals during two indoor meets (2015, 2016) and accounting for 20 scoring finishes. The women have earned seven all-conference awards in both the high jump and pole vault (14 total), while the two event groups have combined for 42 top-eight placements.
Steffan has coached six of the eight Air Force vaulters that have cleared 18 feet, as the men have continually rewritten the Academy record book during his watch. Backed by current Academy records from Pater (indoor, 18’6½”) and Simmons (outdoor, 18’4¾”), the Falcons have posted seven of the top-10 indoor marks and six of the top-10 outdoor marks in program history.
In 2013, Air Force was the only team in the nation to have three vaulters clear 18 feet during the outdoor season, as the Simmons twins (Cale – 18’4¾”, Rob – 18’0½”) and Uhle (18’1”) were all ranked in the nation’s top 12.
His female pole vaulters have completely rewritten the Academy’s record book since 2008, as the entire top-10 standings for both the indoor and outdoor seasons have come under his watch. Steffan saw Tomczak become the program’s first-ever 14-foot vaulter with program-best marks of 14’0½” (indoor) and 14’1¼” (outdoor), while four others have surpassed the 13-foot bar and the long-standing facility record of the Cadet Outdoor Track and Field Complex has been broken twice.
Three of the four Air Force records in the high jump have happened since Steffan took over the event group, with Smith setting the men’s indoor record of 7’2½” in 2016 and Spires recorded program-best clearances of 6’1½” during both the indoor and outdoor seasons of 2017. Overall, the men have made seven improvements to the program’s top-10 list (four indoor, three outdoor), while the women have accounted for six total additions (two indoor, four outdoor).
Steffan has been honored by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Association’s Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year three times (2012 outdoor, 2013 indoor, 2013 outdoor), while his athletes have earned the region’s Field Athlete of the Year four times (Frawley – 2009 indoor, Simmons – 2012 indoor; Spires – 2017 indoor, 2017 outdoor). Smith was a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2016, while five of his athletes have combined for 12 academic awards from the USTFCCCA.
The success of Steffan and his athletes has not been limited to the collegiate arena, as he coached Simmons to a runner-up finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials and a spot on Team USA at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Steffan, who has continued to work with several former Academy vaulters through the Air Force World Class Athlete Program, saw three of his Air Force vaulters advance to the finals of the 2016 Trials, as Simmons, Bell and Uhle all earned top-10 finishes during the preliminary round.
Steffan joined the Falcons' program after spending seven years at the University of New Mexico, where he coached the pole vault and men's multi-event athletes.
He rebuilt New Mexico's pole vault program during his time in Albuquerque. Under his watch, three pole vaulters competed at the NCAA Championships, while at least three qualified for the regional championships during each of his last four years and eight Lobos earned all-conference honors. Steffan coached Robert Caldwell to All-America status and led Derek Mackel to the NCAA Midwest Regional record of 18'1".
In addition to his work with the pole vault team, Steffan also improved the Lobos' decathlon and heptathlon teams. He guided New Mexico to two decathlon titles, as well as the first Mountain West Conference heptathlon crown. Overall, he coached six all-conference honorees in the multi-events, as well as two NCAA participants.
Prior to joining the UNM staff, Steffan spent three years at Wichita State University. While there, he coached All-Americans in the pole vault, triple jump and heptathlon. His women's pole vault team finished first, second and third at the Missouri Valley Conference championships during each of his three years.
Steffan began his collegiate coaching career at the University of Virginia in 1991. During his six years at Virginia, he coached All-American athletes in the high jump, heptathlon, decathlon, 400-meter hurdles and long jump. He also guided 22 Atlantic Coast Conference champions.
An all-Western Athletic Conference decathlete for New Mexico, Steffan graduated from the school in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in education. A native of Aztec, N.M., Steffan has two sons – Jake and Trey.
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