John Elders is in his 21st year as Cal State Fullerton's head cross country and track and field coach. His involvement in the Titans' program, however, dates to 1984 when he enrolled at CSF as a senior transfer and competed on both teams before serving as an assistant coach for three years before being promoted to the head job in 1988.

The program has shown steady progress under his direction despite limited resources. Quality over quantity has been the theme with numerous outstanding individual performers and even All-Americans coming out of a program that lacked a state-of-the-art running surface for most of his tenure.

Elders' goal is to provide a quality Division I program that challenges student-athletes to be their best on the track and in the classroom. He also aims to bring CSF its first conference team title at the Div. I level while continuing to produce national caliber athletes such as decathlete Brandon Campbell, pole vaulter Giovanni Lanaro, distance runner Heather Killeen and high and long jumper Matt Turner.

Elders earned his CSF degree in 1988 in compuer science with a minor in mathematics. A resident of Orange County since his childhood, he graduated form Villa Park High School and also attended Santa Ana College. He is actively involved in Athletes in Action and has spent considerable time in leading clinics for coaches and youth in places as far away as Costa Rica. He and his wife, Nicole, a former Stanford volleyball player, have two young children.