SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Aug. 22, 2023) — UC Santa Barbara Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Cody Fleming has announced the hiring of Jason Zarb-Cousin on Tuesday. Zarb-Cousin joins the Gauchos' Cross Country and Track & Field coaching staffs as an assistant coach. On the track & field staff, he will work closely with the team's distance runners. 
 
"We're bringing in an established leader with Jason," Fleming said. "He is passionate, high energy and believes in individual and character development. I think he's going to be a great addition to our program."
 
Zarb-Cousin comes to Santa Barbara after spending seven years at Loyola Marymount, including serving as head coach of the Lions' Men's Cross Country and Track & Field programs in 2021 and 2022. While at the helm, Zarb-Cousin coached LMU Cross Country to one of their best seasons ever, helping his runners make a seven-second improvement on the team's best 8,000-meter time and a 66-second improvement in the 10,000 meters. Working with middle- and long-distance track runners, Zarb-Cousin helped student-athletes set school records in the 800-meter run and the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Two Lion steeplechasers achieved national recognition under his guidance, with one taking home Second Team All-America honors and another finishing fifth at the USA Track & Field Under-20 meet.
 
"I'm excited and looking forward to joining the Gaucho family, and in particular the Cross Country and Track and Field programs that have a very rich tradition and history of success," Zarb-Cousin said. "Our goal will be to continue to build upon what has been established and be competitive at the highest level while providing the student athletes with an experience that is second to none. I want to thank Cody Fleming and UC Santa Barbara for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to lead the Gaucho distance programs."
 
Prior to being appointed to his head coach role, Zarb-Cousin spent five years as an assistant coach with LMU's Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track & Field teams, helping the Lions achieve their highest-ever placement in the Men's and Women's Cross Country NCAA West Region. Zarb-Cousin's most recent stint at LMU was his second with the Lions, having begun his collegiate coaching career in Los Angeles as a volunteer assistant at LMU from 2005-2009. Between his two stints with the Lions, he made stops at the Air Force Academy and New Mexico State, taking a break in between to coach the Air Force's post-collegiate marathon team.
 
Zarb-Cousin is himself a graduate of the Air Force Academy and a retired Air Force Officer, having served for two decades. The Colorado Springs native earned his Master of Arts in Physical Education with a Social Psychology of Sport & Physical Activity Concentration from the University of Northern Colorado and holds multiple USA Track & Field Level II Certifications.