Mika Laaksonen will enter his 15th season as head coach after he was named to the position on April 14, 2010. Prior, Laaksonen served 13 years as assistant coach under legendary USTFCCCA Hall of Fame coach Bob Kitchens.
During his time as head coach, the Miners have been crowned Conference USA Championships on seven occasions. The Miner men claimed the 2013 outdoor title, following with the 2014 indoor championship. The ladies won the 2017 indoor and outdoor titles, while the women also claimed the 2015, 2016 and 2019 indoor C-USA first-place trophies.
While as an assistant coach, Laaksonen coached two NCAA champions in the javelin and 23 All-Americans overall in the shot put, hammer and javelin. Laaksonen has garnered six Conference USA Coach of the Year honors.
A trio of Miners earned All-American honors following the 2023 season.
Laaksonen mentored Arianne Morais to her second consecutive NCAA Championships appearance in Austin, Texas, June 7-10 in Mike A Myers Stadium. Morais placed 14th overall with a 51.43-meter (168-9) toss, earning second team All-American honors. But it was at the West Preliminaries where she really dazzled. Morais hurled a personal-best 57.61m (189-0) in Sacramento, Calif., to advance to the championships in Austin. Her mark is also ranked second best in program history.
Javelin teammate Roosa Yloenen, in her final season, also advanced to the championships for the second time in her career and first since 2021.
Victor Kibiego finished in third place overall in the 3000m steeplechase, clocking in an 8:32.49 to earn first team All-American honors, while Marissa Simpson was named second team in the 100m hurdles. Kibiego and Simpson were named the 2023 CUSA Track Athletes of the Year following their stellar campaigns.
The 2022 season was highlighted by a pair of Miners advancing to the NCAA National Championships. Jevaughn Powell (400m) and Morais (javelin) advanced to Eugene, Ore., on June 8-11.
UTEP opted not to compete during the 2021 indoor season, but returned to the track for the ’21 outdoor season.
Yloenen (javelin) and freshman Aleks Hristov (discus) advanced to the 2021 NCAA National Championships in Eugene on June 9-12. Also competing in Eugene were Sean Bailey (400m, 4x400), Paulo Benavides (pole vault), Kevin Hewitt (4x400), Joshua Hill (4x400) and Powell (4x400).
The 2020 indoor season saw Karol Koncos take gold in the weight throw, tossing 19.35m at the 2020 indoor championships in Birmingham, Ala.
The 2020 outdoor season was canceled due to COVID-19.
The 2019 season was highlighted by the women winning the C-USA Indoor championship for the fourth time in five seasons. The Miners recorded 89.50 points, beating out Charlotte (81 points) by 8.5. Laaksonen was also named the C-USA Coach of the Year.
During the 2019 outdoor season, Koncos (hammer throw), Iason Machairas (shot put) and Roosa Yloenen (javelin) advanced to the NCAA West Preliminaries on May 23-25 in Sacramento, Calif. At the C-USA Outdoor Championships, Yloenen was a first team All-C-USA performer, won the javelin (49.86m) in her first conference championships appearance. Koncos earned second-team honors with silver in the hammer throw, while Machairas took bronze in the shot put. El Paso product Benjamin Coronado took bronze in the discus.
Sean Bailey was named to the 2019 C-USA All-Academic team on May 14, 2019. Bailey maintained a 4.00 GPA in multidisciplinary studies.
Laaksonen mentored senior Lucia Mokrasova to two school records in the heptathlon and pentathlon. Mokrasova claimed the crown in the heptathlon and pentathlon at the 2018 C-USA Championships. She also posted the school record in the pentathlon with 3,964 points registered a the conference meet.
The 2017 track and field season proved to be one of the program’s most successful during Laaksonens’ tenure. The women’s team won both the indoor and outdoor Conference USA title and Laaksonen was named both the indoor and outdoor Coach of the Year.
Laaksonen led the women to its third consecutive C-USA Indoor Championship title with a final tally of 113 points, outscoring Rice by three points.
Under Laaksonen, the women’s team had three 2017 indoor champions, Tobi Amusan, Winny Koech and Lucia Mokrasova. With its third consecutive title, UTEP becomes just the second school to win three straight indoor titles with Rice (2007-2009).
At the 2017 C-USA Indoor Championship, Amusan defended her 60m hurdles title and went on to compete at the NCAA Championships where she earned All-American honors. Amusan ended her career at UTEP with two All-American honors, four individual C-USA indoor titles and one NCAA outdoor crown. She will continue her track and field career running professionally for Adidas, representing her home country of Nigeria.
Laaksonen was named the 2017 C-USA Outdoor Coach of the Year. This time it was for securing the first women’s outdoor conference title in program history. The women’s team claimed gold at the C-USA Outdoor Championships with a final tally of 153 points; they outscored second-place Middle Tennessee by more than 30 points.
Laaksonen coached Mokrasova in throws, who made her second appearance at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon. Mokrasova went into the national championships ranked 12th in the heptathlon with a school record of 5,671 points. During the indoor season, the sophomore posted a season best in the pentathlon with 3,950 points registered in the Texas A&M Invitational. Mokrasova went on to claim the crown at the C-USA Indoor Championships in the pentathlon.
Laaksonen also guided Samantha Hall to a dominate performance in the discus throw at the conference outdoor championship taking gold with a mark of 54.4m (178-6) and notched a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Championships with a toss of 54.66m (179-4), earning All-American second team honors.
Under Laaksonen, freshman Emmanuel Korir captured two NCAA title in the 800m for indoor and outdoor during the 2017 season. Korir clocked an indoor 800m time of 1:47.48 to capture his first NCAA title. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Korir captured his second NCAA title with a time of 1:45.03. The Kenya native set a world best 600m time of 1:14.97 at the New Mexico Cherry & Silver on Jan. 20. He finished his career at UTEP with two All-American honors, C-USA Male Athlete of the Year, USTFCCCA Mountain Region Track Athlete of the Year and C-USA Athlete of the Year. Korir competed at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in the 800m and will continue his track and field career running professionally for Nike, representing his home country of Kenya.
In addition, Laaksonen has mentored 48 conference champions since 1999.
Last year, Laaksonen earned the 2016 C-USA Indoor Coach of the Year, making it his fourth consecutive coach of the year honor. Laaksonen led the women to its second consecutive C-USA Indoor Championship title with a final tally of 120 points, outscoring WKU by 14 points.
Under Laaksonen, freshman Tobi Amusan helped surge UTEP to another team title after she won gold with a season-best time of 8.23 in the 60m hurdles, while Brittney Trought finished second (8.37). Amusan’s success carried over to the outdoor season, breaking a 33-year old record with a time of 12.83 clocked in at the UTEP Invitational. Her time was the second-fastest time ever run by an athlete under the age of 20 in the world and is both a Nigerian and African Junior record. Amusan concluded the season earning the 2016 C-USA Track Athlete of the Year honors. Amusan became the second Miner since Blessing Okagbare (2010) to earn the prestigious award. Amusan went on to compete in the 100m hurdles at the IAAF U20 Championships and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
At the 2016 C-USA Indoor Championships, Lilian Koech won the mile, while Nickevea Wilson won the triple jump (12.92m/42-4.75). Wilson went on to compete at the NCAA Championships, and earned All-American second team honors. Wilson was named the 2016 USTFCCCAA Mountain Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year after registering the 10th best leap in the nation of 13.22m (43-4.5).
Laaksonen also mentored newcomer Mokrasova in the throwing events, who made her first appearance at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon and garnered All-American second team honors. During the indoor season, the sophomore posted a season best in the pentathlon with 3,950 points registered in the Texas A&M Invitational. Mokrasova went on to claim the crown at the C-USA Indoor Championships in the pentathlon.
Laaksonen was named the 2015 C-USA Indoor Coach of the Year. This time it was for securing the first women’s team conference title in program history. The women’s team claimed gold at the C-USA Indoor Championships with a final tally of 122 points; they outscored second place Western Kentucky by more than 30 points.
He guided both the men’s and women’s team to a silver finish at the 2015 C-USA Outdoor Championships hosted in El Paso.
He also instructed junior Samantha Hall and freshman Rasmus Maukonen to NCAA Championship appearances. Hall, who throws the discus, set a school record (58.50m) at the NCAA West Preliminaries and ended up earning second team All-America honors at the NCAA Championships with a 13th-place finish.
Maukonen captured three individual titles during his freshman campaign and tallied a bronze medal at the C-USA Championships in the javelin throw. He garnered All-America honorable mention at the NCAA Championships with a javelin throw of 65.52m to place 20th.
Laaksonen was named the 2014 C-USA Indoor Coach of the Year. Garnering the honor for a second consecutive season, he guided the Miners to a C-USA men's indoor title for the first time since 2006. UTEP claimed the crown with 123 points, a 45.5-point advantage over second place, LA Tech.
Laaksonen went on to pilot both the men's and women's team to a silver finish in the 2014 C-USA Outdoor Championships. The UTEP women collected seven medals posting the best finish since 2010 while the men finished with six overall.
He coached freshman Samantha Hall to bronze-medal toss of 52.49m (172-02) at the 2014 C-USA Outdoor Championships leading her to qualify for the 2014 NCAA West Preliminary Championship. Laaksonen also coached Taylor Gunn to eight top-five marks this season, guiding Gunn to her second appearance at the NCAA West Preliminary Championship.
Under Laaksonen's instruction five individuals and one relay team advanced to the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships, including heptathlete Jallycia Pearson who went on to post a personal-best of 40.27m (132-1) in the javelin. Pearson placed 15th overall at the national meet.
In 2013, Laaksonen directed the Orange and Blue to a C-USA men's title for the first time since 2008. UTEP secured the crown with 166.50 points, upsetting 2012 C-USA Champion Houston. He also mentored five individuals and one relay team that qualified for the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
In 2011, Laaksonen led freshman Richard Olsson to a silver finish at the Conference USA Championships in the javelin with a mark of 67.94m (222-11). Olsson advanced to the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships and finished 24th in the javelin with a mark of 64.67m (212-2).
During the 2010 outdoor season, Laaksonen directed Anna Wessman to a third-place showing in the javelin and Dimitrios Fylladitakis to fourth place in the hammer at the NCAA Championships to earn All-America honors.
In addition, Laaksonen guided All-American Keisha Walkes to a seventh-place outcome in the shot put at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
In 2007, he coached Erma Gene Evans to a runner-up finish in the javelin at the NCAA Outdoor Championship, earning her All-America status, after she took gold at the conference and regional levels. Evans hit her season best of 56.45 at the conference meet.
In 2006, he coached five Conference USA champions and one NCAA All-American. Laaksonen had Nina Schvedoff break the school record in the 20-pound weight throw (18.37; 60-3 1/4) and Evans topple the Saint Lucia national record in the javelin (55.00; 180-5). His conference champions included Schvedoff (weight and hammer), Correy Harrison (discus), van der Merwe (javelin) and Evans (javelin).
In 2005, Laaksonen guided Harrison -- a walk-on -- to qualification for the NCAA Championships in the discus. Harrison was the 2005 WAC champion in the event and placed fourth at the 2005 NCAA Mountain Regional. He also worked with Schvedoff, who broke the school record in the 20-pound weight throw and won the conference title and Kaisa Kiintonen, who was the conference champion in the hammer. Both Schvedoff and Kiintonen were national qualifiers in the hammer as well.
In 2001, Laaksonen trained three more All-Americans during the outdoor season in Vesa Jäppinen (second, javelin), Vartia (fourth, hammer) and Anne-Laure Gremillet (eighth, hammer). Vartia and Jäppinen won Western Athletic Conference titles during the outdoor season. Vartia (third, hammer) and Mats Nilsson (fourth, javelin) gained All-America honors in 2000.
Laaksonen coached Matti Närhi to the javelin national title in 1999, and Angeliki Tsiolakoudi to the 2000 title. Along the way, Laaksonen helped both throwers attain school records and the all-time conference marks in the javelin. Tsiolakoudi also established a then-collegiate record in the event with a toss of 197-8 (60.26).
In his first season as a coach, he worked with All-Americans Ilmari Verho (sixth, hammer) and Tepa Reinikainen (seventh, shot put).
A former UTEP student-athlete and NCAA champion, Laaksonen primarily works with the throwers and assists with multi-event student-athletes'.
Laaksonen grew up in Finland and spent two years at the University of Technology in Lappeenranta, Finland, where he majored in industrial economics before transferring to UTEP. He was an instant factor as a Miner, winning the 1992 NCAA Championship in both the 35-pound weight throw indoors and the hammer throw outdoors.
Laaksonen repeated his All-American performance in 1993, placing second in the hammer at NCAA's. His throw of 244-3 (74.44) still ranks second all-time among Miner athletes. Following the completion of his eligibility at UTEP, Laaksonen competed in several competitions abroad, including the 1994 European Championships and the 1995 World Championships. Laaksonen recorded a career best of 250-1 (76.22) in 1996.
For his efforts as a Miner, he was enshrined in the UTEP Track and Field Hall of Fame in April of 2005.
Laaksonen received his undergraduate degree in finance from UTEP in 1995 and his master of science in economics in July 1998.
