Brett Halvaks began coaching at California Lutheran University in 2014. Halvaks spent his first seven seasons as an assistant coach focusing on cross country and distance events during the track season. In 2021, Halvaks was named interim head coach for men’s and women’s cross country and track and field, and in 2022, took over as the head coach for all four programs.
In Halvaks’ career at Cal Lutheran, he has led track and field athletes to school records in the men’s 3000m (broken 4 separate times) and women’s 5000m as well as coaching Melissa Skiba to the national title in the 5000m at the 2015 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He has coached 48 student-athletes and relay teams to Top-10 marks on the CLU Track & Field Records List, 6 individual SCIAC Champions, and 6 All-West Region runners. The cross country team has earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors every year under Coach Halvaks.
Before joining the Cal Lutheran coaching staff, Halvaks was an assistant coach at Chapman University primarily focused on cross country and distance events for track and field. In his two seasons at Chapman (2012-13 and 2013-14), Halvaks coached two All-SCIAC runners in cross country, and two All-West Region runners in cross country and led the cross country and track and field programs to five school records in distance-based events.
Halvaks graduated from Cal Lutheran in 2011 with a degree in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine with an emphasis in Pedagogy. Halvaks also received a teaching credential in Physical Education in 2012 from CLU. Halvaks is a USA Track and Field (USATF) level one certified coach and a USATF Cross Country Specialist certified coach.
As a member of the Kingsmen, Halvaks was named to the SCIAC All-Academic Cross Country team in 2011 and served on the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) from 2010-2013. He was SAAC president for the SCIAC (2010-11) and at Cal Lutheran (2010-12). While at CLU, he was a four-year member of the cross country and track and field teams.
Halvaks is originally from Irvine, CA. He now lives in Camarillo with his wife, Emilie, and dog, Dallas.
What are they saying about Coach Halvaks
David Avila - four-year Cal Lutheran Cross Country/Track & Field Student Athlete
"Running at CLU was one of the best experiences of my life. Coach Halvaks played a major role in that. He is dedicated to his student-athletes and helping them run to the best of their abilities. I’m truly thankful to have had him as a coach."
Melissa Skiba - 2015 NCAA D3 5K National Champion, Cal Lutheran Hall of Famer
"Coach Halvaks always puts his student athletes first. He coached me to a national championship. He is a very dedicated coach.”
