Trent Baltzell

Biography

Trent Baltzell was named the head coach for the men's track & field and cross country programs at Rhode Island in July 2021. Since being announced head coach, Baltzell has led the Rams to six Atlantic 10 Track & Field titles, three New England Track & Field Championships, and a New England Cross Country Championship crown. In 2024, he led the Rams to their first-ever IC4A title, sweeping the indoor postseason championships with the A-10, New England, and IC4A crowns. 36 Rams have been crowned Atlantic 10 Champions under Baltzell, and in each of the last two years Rhody has had three NCAA Regional qualifiers. Baltzell was named the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in back-to-back-to-back seasons in 2022, 2023, and 2024. A two-time team captain and five-time individual Atlantic 10 champion for the Rams, Baltzell had been an assistant coach for URI since October 2019 before being promoted. Before Rhode Island, he was the head coach for Division II Assumption University from July 2017 through October 2019, where he was named the 2019 Division II Northeast Cross Country Coach of the Year. Still Rhode Island's all-time record holder in the decathlon, Baltzell won five individual A-10 titles during his playing career, winning both the heptathlon and decathlon in 2013 and 2014, and the 2011 decathlon. He earned a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from Rhode Island in 2014.