Raymond Putnam brings over 20 years of coaching experience joining the Eastern New Mexico Cross Country and Track & Field program as an assistant coach in 2022.
The 2023 cross country campaign saw Putnam dedicate hundreds of hours to planning and organizing the 8k and 6k courses for the Greyhound Invitational and Lone Star Conference Championships in Portales.
In his first season at ENMU, the track and field program saw at least one student-athlete qualify for the national meet in both the indoor and outdoor season. Timothy Frederick ran the 400m at the outdoor championships and 200m during the indoor championships. He saw Frederick become a second team All-American for his performance at the indoor meet. Freshman Alex Williams, who primarily worked with Putnam, also qualified for the outdoor championships in the javelin.
The men's program took tenth at the 2023 LSC outdoor track and field championships with 13 points. The women's squad finished in eighth with 26 points during the postseason event. Tamia Smith (shot put - 2nd) and Alex Williams (javelin - 3rd) earned podium finishes for the Hounds. Smith, Williams, Frederick, and Kennedy Ulmer earned All-LSC recognition after the meet. Indoor wise, the men took eighth in the conference championship while the women finished ninth. Tamia Smith (shot put - 1st) and Timothy Frederick (3rd - 200m) earned podium finishes during the indoor meet.
At Eastern New Mexico, Putnam primarily works with the throws and distance crew.
Before coming to Portales, he served as the head track & field coach at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York. With the Golden Knights, Putnam coached nine all-region athletes, including a national qualifier in 2018 along with the 2019 Northeast 10 Woman's Track Runner of the Year. Putnam recruited over 60 athletes while with the Golden Knights.
Putnam joined The College of Saint Rose following stint at Garden City Community College. While in Garden City, Kansas, Putnam oversaw the success of the men's and women's cross country and track & field programs. Putnam led the men's cross country and track & field programs to top-25 finishes in the NJCAAÂ nationals.
Before heading to Garden City CC, Putnam spent three seasons as the head cross country/track & field coach for Saint Joseph's College of Maine, in Standish, Maine. In just three seasons with the Monks, Putnam garnered Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Coach of the Year honors twice, along with coaching three Women's Runner of the Year recipients, two Women's Rookie of the Year honorees, and one Men's Rookie of the Year. Collectively under Putnam's guidance, the Monk's program finished runner's up on the woman's side, and runner's up once on the men's side.
Prior to joining Saint Joseph's, Putnam started his coaching career at Lewiston High School in Lewiston, Maine serving as the head cross country and track & field coach spending ten years in the role. Putnam also served as the meet director for Lewiston High School outdoor track & field events for ten seasons.
Putnam holds a bachelor of art in history from the University of Southern Maine, where he ran cross country.