Tony Veney is entering his ninth season at the helm of the Pirates' men's and women's track and field teams, his 10th at Ventura College. Coach Veney joined the staff in the spring of 2009 as an assistant track coach and has also coached Ventura's cross country teams for eight seasons. He brings over 40 years of extensive track and field coaching and teaching experience from all levels of competition, and is a nationally certified instructor and lecturer. In the fall of 2017, Veney was awarded the Fred Wilt Coach/Educator of the Year Award by USA Track & Field.

A year ago, Veney led the Pirates to their best season in at least 20 years with the men and women both finishing in the top-10 in the state. The Pirate men ended with a 6th place award in the CCCAA State Championships after coming in fourth at both the Western State Conference and Southern California finals. Meanwhile, the VC women were 10th at the state finals after seventh and second place awards at SoCal's and in the WSC.

Veney possesses successful coaching experience from high school, NCAA Division 1, 2, and 3, national, and international competition. Over the past 15 years he has coached both track and cross country at the University of Oregon, Portland State, and UCLA. Several highlights of Coach Veney's tenure at the division 1 level include: helping lead the Oregon Ducks men's outdoor track and field team to a no. 9 national ranking, coaching 25 all-conference and All-Americans, including five conference champions at Portland State, and coaching 15 indoor/outdoor All-Americans at UCLA, most notably the 2009 Pac-10 4x100 meter relay championship team.

Veney also coached Brandon Johnson, who set a world record as a member (leadoff) of the 4x100m relay at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Grosetto, Italy. Johnson also won a silver medal in the 400 m IH in a time that still ranks as the third-fastest ever by a teenager.

Coach Veney is a USATF Level I-II-III instructor with a master of Coaching certificate. He is a regular speaker at national track and field clinics, and has produced and published several videos and books related to the specialized areas of sprints and hurdles.

Veney is a 1976 graduate of UCLA with a degree in History. He was the former 800 meter record holder for the Bruins, and was a member of two NCAA outdoor track and field championship teams. He received his Master's Degree in physical education from Azusa Pacific University.

"The Ventura county area is one of the richest in the state for track and cross country talent. I am looking forward to becoming a part of the area's track and field/cross country tradition."