20th season as UNE Head Coach (2019)
Ron Ouellette took over the men's and women's teams in 2000. The UNE women grew into one of the elite programs in the Commonwealth Coast Conference, and have had moments of challenging the top teams in the New England region. They ascended to the front of the CCC ranks during the last 10 years, claiming seven consecutive championships (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018) by an average of 27 points, and once with a perfect score of 15. Those seasons were sandwiched in between three runner-up finishes (by 10 points, 1 point, and 1 point). The women also took second place once during the early portion of his tenure.
Under Ouellette, the men have also been consistently competitive throughout the years, becoming stronger and deeper with each season. They captured the program's first CCC title in 2018, by 41 points, and backed it up with a 38-point repeat victory in 2019. Overall, the men have 14 top-three showings at the league meet when adding in the five runner-up and seven third-place efforts.
Ouellette took home a combined 12 CCC Coach of the Year honors in his time, coming in 2006 (women), 2011 (both), 2012 (women), 2013 (women), 2014 (women), 2015 (women), 2016 (women), 2017 (women), 2018 (both), and 2019 (men). Between the two annual championships, he mentored 83 all-conference runners (49 women, 34 men) and eight first-place finishers (5 women, 3 men).
The women's squad ran away with a total of 39 events over the last 20 seasons, with a high of six in 2016, and only three years without one. On top of winning the conference meet in 2014, the Nor'easters secured program-best finishes at the Maine Championship (2nd of 11), Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Championship (2nd of 48), and NCAA Division III New England Championship (9th of 57). Ouellette's group then took 2nd of 46 at the ECAC race the next year.
The men were victorious 21 times through his years, including multiple-win campaigns in 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016 (highest with 4), 2018, and 2019. In 2013, they peaked at 10th out of 46 at the ECAC Championship and 22nd out of 50 at the NCAA regional. This past season, Ouellette's career came to a close as he accompanied one of the men to the Division III national championship in Kentucky – UNE's first-ever qualifier, from either gender, into the field at the finals.
The various achievements by Ouellette's squads landed him an October 2017 induction into the UNE Varsity Club Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2015, he also became a member of the Maine Sports Legends Hall of Honor.
Ouellette has more than 30 years of head coaching experience under his belt, in addition to work at the collegiate level. He has worked with outdoor track, indoor track, cross country, and football at Biddeford High School during various points in his career. He recently retired from 36 years of teaching at BHS.
Ouellette attained bachelor's degrees in mathematics and history from Colby College in 1975. The Biddeford native and his wife, Kathy, reside locally and have two grown children.
CCC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year (2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
CCC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year (2011, 2018, 2019)
Men's Cross Country Home
Women's Cross Country Home
(updated Decmeber 2019)
