-- Seasoned head coach takes reins of track & field program –
HAMBURG, N.Y. – Hilbert College President Michael S. Brophy, Ph.D. has named Raymond Putnam III the first men’s and women’s track and field coach in Hawks’ program history. Putnam brings over 20 years of head coaching experience to Hilbert. He will begin his new role on January 4, 2022.
“I am confident that Ray has the experience, knowledge, and vision to successfully launch our men’s and women’s track and field program to compete at the NCAA Division III level,” Brophy said. “We are very excited to have a head coach with Ray’s expertise to lead this new program.”
“I am honored to have the opportunity to launch the Hilbert Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Program from the ground up,” Putnam said.
Putnam has been a head coach for track and field since 1999, most recently at The College of Saint Rose. During his time at St. Rose, he coached an NCAA Division II National qualifier (the first in 14 years at St. Rose), he coached the conference’s Women’s Runner of the Year, and he coached nine all-region athletes.
Prior to St. Rose, he served as the head coach at Garden City Community College, Salem International University, St. Joseph College of Maine, and Lewiston High School. Putnam was instrumental in launching a track and field program during his time at St. Joseph College of Maine. He has a proven track record of successful college athletics recruitment, developing competitive programs, and prioritizing student success. Putnam has coached numerous athletes to individual conference recognitions and to team championships. He was twice named Conference Coach of the Year (Great Northern Athletic Conference, 2012 and 2013). In his career, Putnam has coached 30 All-Americans.
Putnam earned his Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Southern Maine.
Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With nearly 800 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs in criminal justice administration and public administration, including a track in health administration.