Ray Stanfield has been named the head cross country and track and field coach at the University of West Alabama according to an announcement by Director of Athletics Stan Williamson.

“We are excited to have Ray Stanfield join the coaching staff at the University of West Alabama,” Williamson said. “Coach Stanfield has a wealth of successful experience in cross country and track and field at a number of different institutions.

“We know our student-athletes and future student-athletes will benefit greatly from his leadership of this program,” Williamson said. “Also, we believe Ray and his wife, Patricia, will be great assets to the Livingston community.”

A veteran of both the collegiate and prep ranks, Stanfield comes to UWA from Central ISD in Texas where he served as both athletic director and head track/cross country coach. His collegiate coaching stops include the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Samford, McNeese State, Sam Houston State and Rice.

“I am excited to be getting back into college coaching in an area that we like,” Stanfield said. “Alabama is a great place for cross country, and I am familiar with UWA as a program that has tons of talent and can compete well every year.

“When we came to UAB they had finished 13th twice and 12th once in Conference USA and we were able to win the conference,” Stanfield said. “We are looking forward to coming to UWA and competing for championships.”

The 2006 UAB cross country team won the C-USA title, becoming the first UAB team to win a league championship in that sport. Stanfield was also named the 2006 conference cross country Coach-of-the-Year and the 2005 C-USA Indoor Track Coach of the Year. He was the C-USA Track Coaches Chairman for three years.

While guiding the UAB program from 2002-09, Stanfield guided the track and cross country programs to national prominence, coaching 40 All-Conference USA athletes, 34 NCAA regional qualifiers and six NCAA national qualifiers. At Rice, he mentored nine Southwest Conference champions and 14 All-Americans in six years.

A native of Houston, Stanfield began his coaching career in 1976 at the high school level in Texas where he coached numerous district, regional and state champions.

Married 37 years, Ray and Patricia Stanfield are the parents of two grown children. Their daughter Victoria is a basketball coach and son Tyler is a professional triathlete.