Joe Riccio - Track and Field Coach - Grand Canyon University Athletics

Joe Riccio

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
joe.riccio@gcu.edu
Phone:
602-639-6469
Alma Mater:
Arizona State (2013)

Joe Riccio is entering his sixth season as assistant coach in charge of the throwing events in 2019-20.

Riccio saw the most improvement with his 2019 freshman class with a handful of program firsts. Then-freshman Jorden Okyere became the first male thrower from GCU to win an indoor WAC throwing title when he threw the weight 16.68 meters, a personal record at the time. Okyere also broke the school record in the discus at the Desert Heat Classic, one of two school records on the year from a freshman thrower. Riccio also coached then-freshman Moataz Hassan to school record throws in the shot put in three consecutive meets. Riccio also coached 2018 All-American javelin thrower Jesse Newman to another school record in the event and a top-10 ranking in the country at the time of the throw.

In 2018, Riccio coached then-sophomore javelin thrower Jesse Newman to an NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships appearance and Tarasue Barnett to a Western Athletic Conference meet record in the discus. At the two WAC Championships in 2018, GCU throwers won five individual titles.

Since joining GCU, Riccio has assisted multiple student-athletes to individual WAC Championship titles, including three-time champion, Tarasue Barnett. In 2016, he assisted the men’s and women’s programs to their first Division I WAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships.

Riccio led Jamaican-native, Barnett, to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games as she qualified for the women’s discus throw. The junior sophomore finished 16th in the world at the games with the best mark among all NCAA competitors.

Prior to joining the Lopes, Riccio was assistant throws coach at Mesa Community College for a year. He helped several athletes qualify for nationals, including two who brought home All-America honors (one one men's side, one on women's side).

Following his JUCO days, Riccio competed at Wyoming for a year and earned a Mountain West Athlete of the Week award and was a point scorer in three events (shot put, weight throw and hammer), including placing fourth during outdoor season in the hammer. He then transferred to Arizona State where he scored at the Pac-12 Championship and was a regional qualifier in the hammer.

As a student-athlete, Riccio began his college career at Mesa CC where he was a national champion an earned multiple national honors. He picked up the championship in the hammer throw as a sophomore and was an All-American in the shot put and weight throw while also competing in the javelin.

Riccio's high school career included an Arizona state championship in the shot put and discus.