Ray Hoffman enters his 26th season with the Kutztown University cross country and track & field programs in 2023-24. It will be his 26th season as the cross country head coach, and 18th season as the track & field head coach.
CROSS COUNTRY
In cross country, Hoffman has established KU's program as one of the best in the region. The women's team has earned seven trips to the NCAA Championship, including a best-ever 13th place finish in 2010. The Golden Bears had a 14th-place finish at nationals in 2009 after placing second at the NCAA Regionals. In women's cross country, Hoffman is a two-time USTFCCCA Regional Coach of the Year (2005, 2006), a two-time PSAC Coach of the Year (2000, 2006) and a two-time KU Athletics Women's Coach of the Year (2001, 2002).
In 26 cross country seasons, Hoffman's men's and women's runners have combined for 94 All-PSAC honors, 58 All-Region awards, one All-America honor, one PSAC individual title, one PSAC Athlete of the Year, four PSAC Freshman of the Year awards, 27 All-Academic Team awards, 89 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team individual awards, and one Academic All-American of the Year.
Kutztown had a successful 2022 season, which was highlighted by Erika Moriarty's All-Region finish at the NCAA Atlantic Regionals. Moriarty, along with Colleen Gilbert and Sophia Knerr earned All-PSAC honors on the women's side, while true freshman Adam Brocato and Cody Schabener earned the same honor on the men's team. The women had a top-five finish at PSACs and were sixth at regionals. Brocato and Schabener became the first freshmen to capture that honor since Steve Maine did it during the 2014 season. During the regular season, the women's team finished second in the first three meets of the season, before capturing two first place finishes to cap off the campaign.
In 2021, Moriarty became the first KU freshman to earn All-Region honors since Maureen Watson in 2006 as she finished 24th at the Atlantic Region Championships. Moriarty, Sophia Knerr and Jaelyn D'Amelio all claimed All-PSAC honors, while Giordanovenchy Cerisier finished All-PSAC for the men.
In 2019, his top runner, Evan Adanatzian had the program's best finish (2nd) in leading KU to fifth place at the PSAC Championships. Andrew Sulon (15th) also earned All-PSAC First Team honors, giving Hoffman two First Teamers for the first time since 2002.
Individually, Hoffman has guided eight individual national qualifiers – five women and three men. His top women's finisher was 1999 All-American Megan Seefeldt, who finished 20th. On the men's side, both of Hoffman's qualifiers came within a three-year span, with his top finisher coming in 2015, when sophomore Steve Maine finished 72nd in his first National Championship in his first of two national runs.
As a team, the women's cross country team has made seven NCAA National Championship appearances under Hoffman (2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010). Most recently in 2010, KU finished second at the NCAA Atlantic Regionals to advance to the National Championships for the second consecutive season, where it finished 13th overall - the highest finish in school history.
In 2006, the women's team won the NCAA East Regional title, while the team also has a pair of runner-up finishes (2004 and 2009) and two PSAC runner-up places (2001, 2006) to its credit.
Academically, the women's cross country team has been named an All-Academic Team by the USTFCCCA (3.0 GPA) in 22 of the last 23 years.
TRACK AND FIELD
While at KU, Hoffman has played a vital role in the school’s most successful era in track and field. During his tenure as an assistant coach, Kutztown’s men’s team won the PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship three times (2000, 2001, 2002), finished as runners-up twice (1999, 2005). He became the head coach in 2006. Following 2020, KU's men are in the midst of finishing in the top-five at the Outdoor Championships in eight of the last 11 years. The Golden Bears Indoor team placed fourth at PSACs during 2022-23. their best finish since 2018-19 when they were third.
The KU women's outdoor team has won two PSAC crowns (2000, 2005), finished as runners-up twice when Hoffman was an assistant (2002, 2007), and also finished second during his head coaching tenure in 2013. The Golden Bears placed fourth overall at PSACs, their best finish since 2013. Indoors, the Golden Bear women won three-straight PSAC titles from 2004-06, and another in 2019. Hoffman was voted the PSAC Women's Indoor Coach of the Year in 2019, and was also recognized as KU's Female Coach of the Year that year.
On the track, Hoffman’s athletes have set 62 school records during the indoor and outdoor seasons. He has coached 135 PSAC Champions and 329 All-PSAC performers, following the 2022-23 season. Additionally, Hoffman was the assistant under 2005 PSAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field co-Coach of the Year Brian Mondschein. Hoffman guided nine athletes to Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship titles (1998-2002).
On the national level, he has had 124 NCAA qualifiers and 19 All-America performers.
In the classroom, Hoffman's women's track & field teams have been named an All-Academic Team by the USTFCCCA (3.0 GPA) for 13 straight years (2008-20). The KU men earned All-Academic Team honors for the first time in 2019. He has had 24 student-athletes combine for 37 individual All-Academic awards as well (3.25 GPA). On the men's side, six student-athletes have combined for eight individual All-Academic awards since Hoffman's tenure as head coach began in 2006. His women's track & field and cross country teams set a program-record in three separate years with 27 PSAC Scholar-Athlete's in 2015, 2016 and 2018.
Hoffman was an assistant women’s cross country and track and field coach at Clemson (1997-98). He helped guide the Tiger track and field team to second-place finishes at the indoor and outdoor Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships. In addition, Hoffman coached two junior national qualifiers in the 1000 and 5000, guided his 4x1500 relay team to the seventh-fastest time in the nation, and broke school records in the 4x800 and 4x1500 relays.
Prior to Clemson, Hoffman was an assistant track and field and women’s cross country coach at East Stroudsburg. He was named 1995 ECAC Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year. He guided the Warriors to two top-three finishes at the ECAC Cross Country Championships, and a consistent top-25 ranking in the country. Achievements by his student-athletes included a four-time All-American in cross country and track and an eight-time national qualifier. Hoffman’s runners captured 18 ECAC and three PSAC titles in track & field, while his track runners set 10 school records and garnered 22 All-PSAC and 27 All-ECAC honors. He also coached the 1996 PSAC and ECAC individual cross country champion, and the top NCAA Division II American miler in 1997.
A 1994 graduate of East Stroudsburg University, Hoffman captained the Warriors’ cross country team as a senior and was a three-time All-ECAC performer in the 3,000 and distance medley relay. He also was an All-PSAC performer in the steeplechase.
Hoffman resides in Breinigsville, Pa., with his wife, Jan, and their sons, Brady and Colby.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and earned his teacher certification in health and physical education from East Stroudsburg in 1994.
Updated 1/18/24
