Nkosinza Balumbu began as Academy of Art University track & field assistant coach in December 2019.
Authoring impressive efforts throughout their indoor and outdoor journeys, the Academy of Art track & field team delivered 38 All-American honors, Pacific West Conference titles in 12 different events, two top 15 team finishes at Outdoor Nationals, and a NCAA Division II National Championship for Shareez Hamm in the
outdoor 400m hurdles in 2023-24. The Urban Knights marked their respective indoor and outdoor campaigns by producing a total of 12 new school records (four indoor, eight outdoor) along the way. Strong results for the ART U men's team led Balumbu to be named
2024 USTFCCCA West Region Indoor Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.
Delivering impressive performances throughout its indoor and outdoor campaigns, the 2022-23 Academy of Art track & field season was highlighted by 34 All-American honors, Pacific West Conference titles in 11 different events, a fourth-place finish for the men at Indoor Nationals, and Marie-Jeanne
Ourega capturing two NCAA Division II Long Jump National Championships. The Urban Knights highlighted their respective indoor and outdoor schedules by producing a total of 11 new school records (four indoor, seven outdoor) along the way. The team's success led Balumbu to be named
2023 USTFCCCA West Region Indoor Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.
Featuring impressive performances throughout full indoor and outdoor schedules, the 2022 Academy of Art University track & field season was highlighted by two individual NCAA National Champions (Marie-Jeanne Ourega in the
outdoor long jump and Mathieu Tshani in the
outdoor triple jump), 32 All-American trophies, and Pacific West Conference titles in nine different events. The Urban Knights marked their respective indoor and outdoor campaigns with a total of 17 new school records (six indoor, 11 outdoor) along the way. The season culminated with the first time in program history that both the men and women finished in the top 10 at Outdoor Nationals. The campaign included Balumbu being named
2022 USTFCCCA West Region Outdoor Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.
Delivering some incredible performances amid a limited schedule and other challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Academy of Art track & field season triumphantly featured three individual NCAA Division II National Champions (Marie-Jeanne Ourega in the
outdoor long jump and James Young in the
indoor mile and
outdoor 1500m), 22 All-American trophies, Pacific West Conference titles in 13 different events, and a total of nine new school records (three indoor, six outdoor) along the way. The campaign included Balumbu being named
2020-21 USTFCCCA West Region Indoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year.
Following her impressive collegiate debut, Marie-Jeanne Ourega placed second overall in the long jump at the 2021 French National Championships with a 21-4 (6.51m) mark that ranks second in all of France heading into the 2022 campaign. In addition to Ourega's success, Balumbu coached American professional long jumper Malaina Payton, whom he also coached when she was a student-athlete at Cal, to a 15th-best world ranking in the long jump with a distance of 22-7 (6.89m) at the Chula Vista Field Fest in May 2021.
A roster of fresh talent mixed with the postseason experience of many returners as the Academy of Art track & field squad penned its 2020 chapter. The entry could not be fully completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a total of
seven All-Americans,
26 All-Region honors, and six new school records still highlighted the program's abbreviated season.
Joining the Urban Knights from NCAA Division I Cal State Northridge, Balumbu brought 10 years of coaching experience ranging from the high school to the collegiate levels. He serves primarily as the jumps coach for ART U.
In two seasons as an assistant coach with Cal State Northridge track & field, Balumbu worked with 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Brianna Rollins and Dalilah Muhammad. As the jumps coach for both the men’s and women’s teams, he helped five student-athletes to six top-three results at the Big West Championship including Ahmed Mohamed’s 2019 Big West title in the triple jump. Beyond his work in the field, Balumbu also developed and directed the strength and conditioning program for the jumps.
Working specifically with the women’s track & field team at Laney College in Oakland, Balumbu coached the Eagles’ jumps, sprints, and hurdles student-athletes. After his individuals placed first and second in both the long jump and triple jump events at the Northern California Junior College Championships, Laney went on to place second as a team at the NorCal Championships and fifth at the California Junior College State Meet with just five women on the roster.
Prior to Laney, Balumbu was an assistant coach for UC Berkeley from 2014-16 after serving as a volunteer assistant during the 2013 season. Balumbu instructed both the men's and women's jumpers and also instructed the multi-event student-athletes in their speed and jump work. At the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Balumbu guided freshman Walter Jones IV to a seventh-place finish in the long jump with a lifetime best jump of 25-7 (7.79m) earning him first team All-American status. In 2014, Hammed Suleman won his third consecutive Pac-12 conference long jump title with a mark of 26-0 (7.93m) and also gained a lifetime best triple jump of 53-4 (16.27m) during his time at Cal. Suleman went on to represent Nigeria in the Commonwealth games later that summer.
On the women's side, Balumbu coached Isabella Marten to the 2016 MPSF and Pac-12 triple jump titles. Marten also gained two First Team All-American honors with seventh-place finishes at both the 2016 NCAA Indoor and 2016 Outdoor Championships. She jumped a lifetime best of 43-8 (13.4m) at the 2016 Outdoor Championships.
Cal’s Malaina Payton was helped by Balumbu to a MPSF indoor championship in the long jump in 2014. She finished her career with a lifetime best leap of 21-1 (6.44m) and placed 11th at the 2013 USA Outdoor Championships. In 2013, Amanda Hunter improved tremendously within a short time, elevating her personal best triple jump to 43-3 (13.19m) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She followed that performance by finishing 12th at the USA Outdoor Championships.
During Balumbu's time as a student-athlete at the University of Arkansas, he won five SEC titles in the triple jump and was a seven-time All-American while being coached by Hall of Fame coach Dick Booth. He captured the 2008 NCAA triple jump title, which made him the last individual national champion for the now retired legendary head coach John McDonnell. Balumbu was a 2008 and 2012 Olympic Trials Qualifier in the triple jump, achieving his highest finish of sixth place in 2012. Balumbu earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Arkansas in 2009.
A USATF level 2 certified coach and a track & field academy certified strength and conditioning coach, Balumbu hails from Union City, Calif., and graduated from James Logan High School, where he won two state triple jump championships (2004 and 2005). He returned to James Logan in 2010 to begin his coaching career.
Coaching Honors at Academy of Art
2024 USTFCCCA West Region Indoor Men's Assistant Coach of the Year
2023 USTFCCCA West Region Indoor Men's Assistant Coach of the Year
2022 USTFCCCA West Region Outdoor Men's Assistant Coach of the Year
2020-21 USTFCCCA West Region Indoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
