College of Saint Rose Athletics

Ray Putnam completed his fourth year as the head coach of The College of Saint Rose men's and women's cross country and track and field programs in 2020-21. The former head coach at Garden City (Kan.) Community College was hired in December 2017 following a national search.

Putnam helped Christine Myers '19 become just the third Golden Knight to qualify as an individual for the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. He's also developed multiple All-Region performers and Northeast-10 Conference event champions. In addition, Shannen Kerin '20 earned the 2020 NE10 Indoor Track and Field Elite 24 Award for having the highest GPA among student-athletes competing at the Conference Championship Meet.
 
"We are very excited to welcome Ray Putnam to Saint Rose," said Cathy Haker, Director of Athletics and Recreation, at the time of his appointment. "He has proven success as a head coach who can recruit talent and maximize student-athlete potential. He brings a wealth of experience to our program, having coached multiple events at various levels for more than 15 years. Ray's approach is very student-centered and his philosophy encourages academic and athletic success which aligns with the Saint Rose mission and the NCAA Division II positioning statement: 'Life in the Balance'."
 
Putnam developed 15 All-Americans while at Garden City CC. The program tripled in size and significantly increased its amount of regional and national qualifiers under his leadership.
 
Previously, Putnam worked as a head coach with Salem International University and St. Joseph College of Maine. Before joining the collegiate coaching ranks, he directed the Lewiston (Maine) High School cross country and track and field teams for more than a decade.
 
Putnam earned a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Southern Maine.