Riverside—After thirty-plus years as a coach, including the last dozen with the Highlanders, UC Riverside Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Irv Ray, announced today that he is retiring from intercollegiate coaching. Associate Head Coach Nate Browne, who has been with the program since 2003, will take over the program on an interim basis.
 
"There comes a time in every athlete's career and ever coach's career when you know it's time," said Ray "You've crossed the finish line and left everything you possibly could out on the track. Over the past several weeks, as the start of the 2015 cross country season approached, I realized that for me, that time is now."
 
"With the help of tremendous assistant coaches, student-athletes and personal mentors along the way, I was able to accomplish more than I ever imagined in this profession, and I'd like to thank all of those who touched my life, and assisted me in becoming the best coach I could be.
 
"There are great things still in store for the UC Riverside Cross Country and Track & Field programs, and I know Coach Browne will do a tremendous job in guiding the program forward."
 
"I've only been at UC Riverside for two months," said Athletics Director Tamica Smith Jones, "but I am already well aware of the positive impact that our Cross Country and Track & Field programs have had on our university and our community. From successes on the field of competition, in the classroom and in post-graduate life, Coach Ray and his team have consistently represented themselves and the university in a manner befitting UC Riverside's mission of 'Living The Promise.'
 
"I know I speak for the entire athletics department, countless student-athletes, and the university administration when I thank Coach Ray for all that he has done over the years for the Highlanders, and wish him well in his future endeavors."
 
Although Ray will no longer ply his trade as an NCAA coach, he won't be far from the action.
 
"Coaching is still very much in my blood," he explained,  "and after taking some time off to be with my family in Arizona, I am going to begin working with a long-time friend and colleague Tony Benson. Tony and I co-authored a book back in 1996 called 'Run With The Best.' It has been developed into a one-to-one, coach mentoring and coach education program and I will serve as the director.
 
"I'm also going to have the opportunity to coach several elite middle distance athletes for the 2016 Olympic trials next summer."
 
The year prior to Ray's arrival on the Riverside campus, the women's cross country team finished ninth in the conference and the men's team finished eighth. Five years later, the women's team hoisted the 2008 Big West Conference Championship trophy, and the men came within two points of a second place finish.
 
UCR's track and field teams also improved greatly under Ray's tutelage, as the women finished in second place in 2008 and third place in 2009, and the men's squad scored its most points ever at the Big West Championships in 2012.
 
The Highlanders now routinely have double-digit athletes qualify for NCAA Regionals and four to five conference champions each year.
 
Throughout his three decades as a high school and college coach, Ray's student-athletes turned in nearly 200 All-American performances including 14 with the Highlanders (Brenda Martinez—2009 and 2010 outdoor 1,500m, 2009 indoor mile; Allison Wilder—2011 indoor triple jump, 2011 outdoor triple jump; Ryan Swafford—2012 and 2013 outdoor triple jump; Travis Smith—2012 outdoor shot put and 2013 indoor shot put; Caleb Stuart —2012 outdoor hammer throw; Ted Hooper—2013 and 2014 outdoor long jump; Damajeria DuBose—2013 outdoor 1,500m; Danielle Littleton—2015 outdoor long jump.
 
Martinez, who recently took bronze at the World Championships in the 800m , was named Big West Women's Track Athlete of the Year in 2009, while Ashley Gatewood earned Women's Field Athlete of the Year accolades in 2011, and Caleb Stuart was named Men's Field Athlete of the Year in 2014.
 
Ray's athletes also combined to win nearly 40 individual Big West Track & Field championships for the Highlanders, and 16 Academic All-America awards.
 
In Cross Country, Ray was named Big West Women's Coach of the Year following the Highlanders' championship performance in 2008. Chad Hall won the individual Men's Cross Country championship in 2011, and Raquel Hefflin did likewise on the women's side in 2014.
 
He also oversaw the construction of the new UC Riverside Track Facility, which was completely redone prior to the 2012 Track & Field season.
 
Ray came to UC Riverside from the University of Missouri, Kansas City where he coached the school's first-ever individual conference champion in cross country. In outdoor track his women's team finished fourth, and men's team sixth in the Mid Continent Conference. He had three student-athletes compete at the NCAA track and field regional, and had a fourth named Verizon/CoSida Academic All American First Team.
 
Ray was head track and field and cross country coach for Cal Baptist from 1997- 2002, where he guided CBU to national prominence at the NAIA level after taking over a program entering its second year of existence. His 1999 men's team captured the school's first-ever national championship by winning the NAIA indoor track and field title. For his efforts, Ray was named NAIA Men's Indoor Track and Field Coach-of-the-Year, and one of his athletes was honored as the male Athlete-of-the-Meet. Two of his athletes qualified and ran in the 2000 Olympic games.
 
Eleven of Ray's student-athletes won individual national championships, with four setting NAIA indoor and outdoor track and field records. His teams placed in the top four at NAIA national meets five times in track and field, and his athletes have earned over 175 All-American honors. Ray's cross country teams also were among the NAIA's elite, earning two top four national finishes. He was named the Golden State Athletic Conference Cross Country Coach of the Year six times, Western Region Coach of the Year three times, and track and field coach-of-the-year once, in 2001.
 
Prior to joining CBU, Ray was head cross country and assistant track and field coach at Azusa Pacific from 1988-96. His 1994 cross country team finished fourth at the NAIA national meet. In all, Ray's cross country teams never finished out of the top 10 in ten appearances at the NAIA nationals.
 
Ray served as head cross country and track and field coach at Covina High School from 1985-88, guiding his teams to four California Interscholastic Federation league championships in track and one in cross country. He tutored 26 all-conference student-athletes, 11 All-CIF honorees and one CIF champion in the 1,600.
 
In addition to his collegiate and prep experience, Ray is well-respected at the highest level of track and field. He was named to the USA Track and Field Olympic Development Middle and Long Distance Committee as the chair of the men's 1,500 meters from 1999 to 2004. Ray serves as a USA Track and Field and Olympic Development Clinic middle distance specialist.
 
He has coached several elite American middle distance athletes, including former men's American mile record-holder Steve Scott; Michele Buccichio, past American age group record-holder at several distances; 1992 Olympic bronze medalist Dave Johnson; and Jason Pyrah, a member of the 1996 Olympic and 1997 and 1998 World Championship teams.
 
He has coached several other athletes who qualified for the United States championships and represented the USA on Olympic and World Championship teams as well as international Olympic teams. Ray coached Bryan Berryhill, the 2001 NCAA 1,500 meter champion and No. 2 American in the event in 2002 and 2003.