NEWS: Providence Head Coach Ray Treacy to Retire in June After 41 Years

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Written by Aimee Morganti, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin

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Providence College's head coach of cross country and track and field, Ray Treacy, has announced that he will be retiring from collegiate coaching in June of 2026 at the conclusion of the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

The famed face of the Friars' cross country and track and field programs has led the Providence men and women for the past 41 years.

In a press release, Treacy explained…

"It is hard to imagine I have lived my dream job for the last 41 years," Treacy said. "It has been the honor of my life to represent Providence College on the track and field stage. I would like to thank the administration for their wonderful support of the program during that time. Also, thanks to the more than 600 student-athletes who have gone through the program during my tenure. To see them develop and mature over their four years at PC has been the most rewarding part of the job. It has been an honor to be their coach."

Treacy began his path to collegiate coaching as a Providence College student-athlete where he was a three-time All-American, three-time BIG East indoor 5000-meter champion, and won the first-ever BIG East individual cross country title in 1979.

He was also an Irish 10,000-meter senior champion, and a former team captain for the Friars.

During his tenure overseeing the Friars, Treacy coached two women’s team national champions in 1995 and 2013. He also helped 10 individual student-athletes win 15 NCAA Championship titles. Under the guidance of Coach Ray Treacy, Providence athletes secured a total of 223 All-American accolades accomplished by 73 student-athletes under his guidance.

Providence’s College President Fr. Kenneth Sicard O.P. stated...

“Ray Treacy’s legacy runs deep in Friartown. His athlete have long described him as a steady, trusted presence and he has earned a place among the most respected coaches in his sport… From his days as a standout student-athlete to more than 40 years of guiding and mentoring hundreds of Friars, Ray has left an indeible mark on Providence College.”

Treacy’s legacy is also marked by a streak of consistency that saw qualification of his women’s cross country team for NCAA XC Championships 33 years out of the last 37 years. His men’s cross country team qualified for the NCAA XC Championships 25 out of the last 41 years.

At the NCAA XC Championships, the Lady Friars finished among the top-10 of the team standings 21 times while the men’s program finished among the top-10 a total of 14 times.

In recent memory, the Providence women raced to a 3rd place team finish at the 2024 NCAA XC Championships. The Friars’ podium finish was led by a trio of All-American performances by seniors Kimberley May, Alex Millard and Shannon Flockhart.

Providence College’s Athletic Director, Steve Napolillo stated,

“There are coaches at all levels who have become legends in their respective sports and without a doubt, Ray Treacy is a legend. We are grateful for Ray’s leadership, his victories and for all the mentoring he has provided to so many Friar student-athletes over the years. We will miss Ray as a friend, as a coach and as an ambassador for Providence College. We wish Ray, his wife Lisa and his family all the best.”

Beyond collegiate seasons, Treacy has coached 11 Olympians, while his post-collegiate athletes have accumulated more than 40 USATF titles across the track and road. At the conference level, he has guided teams to 18 BIG East cross country team titles and 145 BIG East individual titles from 55 student-athletes.

Providence College has yet to announce who will be assuming the helm as the Friars' next Director of Cross Country and Track & Field.