Trent Baltzell ’14 was a champion URI student-athlete. Now back at URI as head coach for men’s track and field, he and his team are carrying forward the team’s winning tradition.
Not much has changed for URI men’s track and field since Trent Baltzell ’14 first sat in Mackal Field House with Coach John Copeland on a recruiting visit 15 years ago—and that’s a good thing.
“This was definitely the style of program I was looking for,” Baltzell says. “I wanted a place where I would have teammates who were supportive, but that also had a winning culture. It was a no-brainer for me coming in.”
It worked out. As a student, Baltzell was part of seven Atlantic 10 team championships. One of URI’s best multi-event athletes, he was a five-time individual champion, winning the decathlon in 2011 and both the heptathlon and decathlon in 2013 and 2014. He remains URI’s record holder in the decathlon.
Baltzell returned to URI as an assistant coach in 2019 and has sustained that championship culture. The team won an indoor A-10 title in 2020 and an outdoor league title in 2021. In July 2021, Baltzell was elevated to head coach following Copeland’s retirement.
Since then, Baltzell has won four consecutive A-10 titles (2022 and 2023 indoor/outdoor championships), three New England track-and-field titles, and a New England cross-country title. He was named A-10 track-and-field coach of the year in 2022 and 2023.
“I tried to make as few changes as possible. Coach Copeland worked hard and left the program in great shape. He put me in a great position.”
The keys for Baltzell are having the right staff and maintaining relationships throughout his roster. He believes that because he trained in multiple events himself, he is better able to relate to all his student-athletes.
“I don’t coach every single guy on the roster because we have position groups,” Baltzell says. “But I have a pretty solid connection with everyone on the team.”
Baltzell’s first hire was Brian Doyle, who coaches distance runners and sprinters. Since Doyle’s arrival, the Rams have won the 2023 New England team title—the program’s first since 1952—and placed seventh at the 2023 A-10 championship, URI’s highest finish in 23 years.
Baltzell also kept Ben Carroll, who has coached the throwers for 14 years, producing 26 individual conference champions.
“Hiring the right people is something I am proud of,” Baltzell says. “Brian was the perfect fit. There are not a lot of guys who can coach distance and sprints. He has done an incredible job.
“And Ben has more regional qualifiers and Atlantic 10 champions than any other group since he started. Retaining him has been huge. The consistency he brings is important.”
The program will soon be getting an outdoor track-and-field complex, thanks to $65.8 million in funding for the state’s capital improvement plan, which will also upgrade URI’s football, soccer, baseball, and softball facilities. While URI’s overall track-and-field success has not been hindered over the years—thanks to the indoor Mackal facility—getting an outdoor track will have a major impact.
“We will be able to host high school championship meets, as well as our own championship meets and invitationals. That is good advertising for the program,” Baltzell says. “We will have camps and host the Special Olympics. This will draw more people into South County and heighten awareness of the program, which always helps with recruiting.”
While Baltzell had always had an eye toward returning to URI, it happened sooner than he expected.
“I was at Assumption for four years,” Baltzell says. “I really enjoyed it there. But I knew URI was a place I wanted to come back to eventually. It happened sooner than I ever thought it would, and I am super thankful for that.”
—Shane Donaldson ’99
Photo: Michael Scott