Michael McPherson was named an assistant coach with the Pacific track & field programs in July 2025.
While McPherson has coached the majority of his time at the collegiate level, he most recently was a cross country and track & field assistant coach at Southside High School. McPherson spent four years at UTSA as an assistant coach, which began in 2017 where he primarily worked in field events and supported Adrian Riley to a runner-up finish in the 2018 indoor Conference USA Championships.
Prior to his stint with the Roadrunners, McPherson served as an assistant coach at Idaho State, concentrating on improving the team's vertical jumps. He helped guide Steven Wacker to the 2017 Big Sky Conference Outdoor pole vault title, while Steven Beck was runner-up at the league's indoor championship.
McPherson kick-started his coaching career at Air Force under the legendary pole vault coach Scott Steffan in 2015. He guided the Falcons to the 2015-16 Mountain West Conference triple crown, winning team championships in cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field. Furthermore, McPherson helped coach the 2016 NCAA Indoor runner-up in the high jump, Taylor Smith. The Falcons also saw three athletes qualify for the finals of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, including runner-up and Olympics qualifier Cale Simmons.
A native of Parker, Colorado, McPherson was a two-time All-American in the multi-events at Utah Valley. He placed 16th in the decathlon at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships, crossed 12th in the heptathlon at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships and finished fifth in the heptathlon at the 2013 U.S. Indoor Championships. He set school records in the heptathlon (5,546) and decathlon (7,401) and also qualified for NCAA Regionals in the 200 meters in 2013 and in the long jump in 2013 and 2014.
McPherson earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science in 2015 from Utah Valley.
