Hoppler Named Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Programs

Head Coach Robert Hoppler (far right) and the Wildcat women's cross country team celebrate their fifth straight America East Championship in 2017

DURHAM, N.H. – University of New Hampshire Director of Athletics Marty Scarano announced Monday that Robert Hoppler, longtime head coach of the UNH women's cross country team and co-head coach of the women's track & field program, has been elevated to the role of UNH Director of Men's and Women's Track & Field and Cross Country. Hoppler replaces legendary Jim Boulanger, who retired in June following more than four decades directing the men's and women's XC and track & field programs.

Hoppler has guided the Wildcat women's cross country team to seven America East championships, which includes six in seven years (2003; 2013-17; 2019). In 22 years as an AE women's cross country head coach, Hoppler's teams have 21 Top-4 finishes.

"After conducting a national search with several outstanding candidates, we are excited to announce that Rob Hoppler is taking over as our director of the men's and women's track & field and cross country programs," Scarano said. "Hopp did an outstanding job in the interview process and articulated a fabulous vision going forward. It's obvious that he's had his fingerprints all over an already successful program. His experience at UNH, winning background and his deep concern for student-athlete welfare will ensure continued success for Wildcat cross country and track & field."

Hoppler, a 1989 graduate of the University of Rhode Island, originally joined UNH as assistant men's cross country and track & field coach in 1994, a role he held until 1997. After a two-year stint as head women's and men's XC and assistant men's and women's track & field coach at the University of Vermont, the Plaistow, N.H., native returned to Durham in 2000 as head women's cross country coach. Hoppler served as assistant men's cross country coach from 2000-08, and he was promoted to co-head coach of the women's track and field program alongside Casey Carroll in 2017.

"I would like to thank Marty Scarano and the search committee for instilling their trust in me by selecting me as the new director of track & field and cross country here at UNH," Hoppler said. "I am honored and humbled to take on this responsibility and look forward to continuing the tradition of excellence set forth by past head coaches Paul Sweet, John Copeland, Nancy Krueger, Gina Sperry and, of course, Jim Boulanger. It is my privilege to work with Wildcat student-athletes, and I look forward to guiding our programs to continued success."

During his UNH tenure, Hoppler has played a significant part in 27 conference championships across the cross country and track & field teams. He was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division I Women's Assistant Coach of the Year in 2015 (outdoor) and 2016 (indoor) and is a seven-time winner of the America East Coach/Staff of the Year award.

Among 13 individual national champions mentored by Hoppler is the most decorated student-athlete in school history – Elle Purrier St. Pierre. Purrier St. Pierre, the 2018 NCAA Indoor Mile Champion, was an 11-time All-American, 2017-18 America East Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and 17-time America East champion who won the 2018 conference title in the 1,500-meter run and placed seventh in that event at the NCAA championship meet. She is a member of the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team and will run in the women's 1,500 meters in Tokyo, Japan, starting Sunday, Aug. 1 (8:35 p.m. ET, Heats).

Hoppler mentored four student-athletes to a combined 16 NCAA All-American honors: Purrier (11x); Rosie Donegan (3x); Anne Twombly (2015) and Cathy Parker (2007).

The Hoppler File

Coaching Honors
USTFCCCA Women's Assistant Coach of the Year, D-I Indoor Track, Northeast Region - 2016
USTFCCCA Women's Assistant Coach of the Year, D-I Outdoor Track, Northeast Region – 2015

America East Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year (7x)
2003
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2019

NCAA All-Americans (16)
Elle Purrier, 11x
Rosie Donegan, 3x
Anne Twombly
Cathy Parker

CoSIDA Academic All-Americans (4x)
Kaitlyn Dugan, 2011
Rosie Donegan, 2016, 2017
Elle Purrier, 2017

America East Scholar-Athlete of the Year (14x)
Amy DeCamp, 2x
Anne Twombly, 2x
Rosie Donegan, 3x
Elle Purrier, 5x
Shannon Murdock, 2x

Jim Urquhart Student-Athlete of the Year (9x)
Melanie Morin, 1999
Amy DeCamp, 2002
Lesley Read, 2004
Cathy Parker, 2008
Keely Maguire, 2013
Anne Twombly, 2015
Rosie Donegan, 2017
Elle Purrier, 2018
Meg Champagne, 2021

Individual National Champions (13)
Elle Purrier, 2018 NCAA indoor mile
Elle Purrier, 2014 USA Junior Steeplechase
Rosie Donegan, 2013 U23 Australian National Cross Country
Joanne Dow, 2008 Olympic Trials 20K Race Walk
Joanne Dow, 5x, USA Indoor 3000m Race Walk
Joanne Dow, 2x, USA Outdoor 20K Race Walk
Ashley Cooper, 2000 Bermuda 1500m
Ashley Cooper, 1999 Bermuda 800m

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