North Haven native Copeland retires as URI track coach

Longtime University of Rhode Island track and field coach and North Haven native John Copeland announced his retirement Wednesday morning.

Copeland ends his 39year career at URI that included 25 Atlantic 10 titles, 16 New England titles and 35 Coach-ofthe-Year awards since joining the program’s staff in 1982.

“It has been a great experience because I think I had an opportunity to impact kids’ lives,” Copeland said in a release. “That’s the biggest thing. I reflect on my coaches in high school and college, and they had such a huge influence on my life. I’ll forever be indebted to those coaches.”

Copeland got his start in track and field at North Haven High, where he was a co-captain in 1963 and held the school record in the 100-yard and 220-yard sprints.

The once non-recruited and non-scholarship track and field athlete at UConn finished his own collegiate career as a senior captain, a six-time Yankee Conference champion and three-time New England champion. The then-hurdler was twice named the MVP of UConn’s team and twice Connecticut’s Outstanding Trackman.

Copeland spent three years in serving in the Army following his time as an athlete. He was awarded the Bronze Star while on tour in Vietnam.

After returning to Connecticut, Copeland began his coaching career at E.O. Smith High in Storrs as the school’s head track and field coach while also balancing time as a graduate assistant with UConn’s program from 1971-73. His first collegiate head coach experience came at the University of New Hampshire, where he coached for nine years before leading the program at URI.

At Rhode Island, Copeland has coached seven All-Americans with his athletes breaking 52 of a possible 57 program records in track and field. His Rams have won 25 of the possible 49 A-10 titles in the sport since the conference began hosting track and field meets, both indoor and outdoor, in the 1990s.

Copeland has also served as secretary of the United States Cross Country Coaches Association, a representative for the U.S. Track Coaches Association and was a past president of the New England Track Coaches Association.

“Track has been very satisfying for me, and I feel like I have made positive impacts on people’s lives,” Copeland said. “I still want to have an impact. Retirement is kind of a blank sheet right now, but I hope I can start to fill the canvas with some nice stuff.”

Through nearly four decades of coaching, the job has never been about the titles or records on the track. For Copeland, it’s always been about the relationships he’s made with his athletes and staff that mattered most.

“Don’t get me wrong. I love having 25 Atlantic 10 titles in 20 years, but that is not the most important thing,” Copeland said. “Getting those random telephone calls or emails from all the guys who have come through over the years, that means the world to me.”

Copeland