Louie Quintana Named Cross Country Head Coach at Arizona State

Former Southern Section star at Arroyo Grande HS and NCAA star at Villanova, Louie Quintana, above pictured currently and at his 1990 National Prep Cross Country Championship (with Melody Fairchild) named CC Coach at Pac 10 Power Arizona State University

Former assistant coach takes over Sun Devil program following the departure of Walt Drenth

Aug. 18, 2004

TEMPE, Ariz. - Louie Quintana has been hired as the head coach of the Arizona State cross country program, Greg Kraft, Director of Track and Field at ASU, announced Wednesday. Charged with guiding the cross country program as well as the distance corps on the track, Quintana replaces Walt Drenth who was hired August 3 at Michigan State after eight years with the Sun Devils.

"It's an exciting opportunity and it is a dream come true for me," Quintana said. "If I took a job anywhere in the country, Arizona State is the place I would want to be. If I was coaching back east, I would be longing to get back to ASU. I know this program has had success and I want to see if I can help it climb over the last rock to be a Top 10 team on the men's side and a trophy team on the women's side. I am looking forward to working with everyone and moving the program forward."

Quintana is an established runner, winning the FootLocker national race as a high school athlete before earning All-America honors while starring at Villanova. The 1993 Penn Relays Male Outstanding Performer, Quintana captured nine All-America certificates prior to his graduation from VU in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in history.

"Louie brings so many things to the table, but I think he really brings a shot of energy to the program," Kraft said. "Change is going to be tough with the team because we've had success. Coach Drenth had a certain way and certain phrases that he would use that they would trust. Coach Quintana now has to establish that trust on his own with the student-athletes and that takes time. But that also takes time with success. I feel really good about Coach Quintana taking the reigns of the program and look forward to seeing how our distance runners progress under his leadership."

Quintana has been a member of the ASU coaching staff for the past two years, first joining the program as its graduate assistant in 2002 before taking over assistant coaching duties last year. As part of his assistant duties, he served as the recruiting coordinator for the track and field and cross country teams while also helping to mold some of the current stars on the team: Amy Hastings, Desiree Davila, Aaron Aguayo and Juan Reyes. With his help, Hastings won the 2004 Pac-10 Championship in the 3,000m steeplechase as a freshman, keeping the title in Tempe for the fourth year in a row in only the fourth contested race. Aguayo won the men's steeplechase to give the Sun Devils a sweep in the event before also winning the regional race as a freshman this year.

Jeremy Rasmussen, a former student-athlete with the Sun Devils, also was added to the staff as the graduate assistant and will assist Quintana with the distance runners. The Pac-10 Conference champion in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2000 meet, Rasmussen also placed second in the 2001 and 2002 meets in the same event to help the men break the 100-point barrier all three years, and the first time in school history. Following a successful career with both the cross country and track and field programs, the Minnesota native and graduate of Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Ariz., served as a volunteer coach during the 2003 cross country season and 2004 indoor and outdoor track and field seasons before taking the graduate position. Rasmussen, who recently attained his USA Track and Field Level 1 coaching certification, earned his bachelor's degree for ASU in computer information systems in 2003.

The Sun Devils will open their season Sept. 10 when they travel to Tucson to take part in the Dave Murray Invitational, hosted by Arizona. The women will contest a 4.3K race starting 5:15 p.m. with the men's 6.3K race following at 5:45 p.m. Both races will be contested on the Dell Urich Golf Course.

Quintana Bio Info from ASU

Louie Quintana begins his first year as the head coach of the Arizona State men's and women's cross country team following three seasons as an assistant coach with the cross country and track and field teams. Quintana assumes the duties of head coach for the program following the departure of Walt Drenth, who headed to Michigan State after eight successful seasons with the Sun Devils.

"Louie brings so many things to the table, but I think he really brings a shot of energy to the program," Greg Kraft, Director of Track and Field, said. "Change is going to be tough with the team because we've had success. Coach Drenth had a certain way and certain phrases that he would use that they would trust. Coach Quintana has to establish that trust on his own with the student-athletes and that takes time. But that also takes time with success. I feel really good about Coach Quintana taking the reigns of the program and look forward to seeing how our distance runners progress under his leadership."

Leading up to his hire as the head coach of the harriers, Quintana served in several capacities with the Sun Devils, starting his time in Tempe as the program's graduate assistant coach in January 2002. Following two track and field seasons and one cross country season, Quintana was promoted to assistant coach for both programs in August 2003 and also was charged with coordinating the programs' recruiting.

In his time as an assistant coach, Quintana has helped tutor student-athletes to great success. In the 2003 cross country season, he helped Amy Hastings and Desiree Davila make history as both runners earned All-America honors, marking the first time ASU has had two All-Americans in one season on the cross country course. He also coached Hastings to two individual wins on the year as she earned All-Pac-10 First Team and NCAA All-West Region honors. The women's team finished second in the conference for the second year in a row and advanced to their sixth NCAA Championship meet in a row where they placed 14th overall.

On the track in 2004, the distance runners again turned in several performances under Quintana's watchful eyes as both Hastings and Aaron Aguayo captured the 3,000m steeplechase titles at the Pac-10 Championships with Aguayo going on to win the regional crown as well. The steeple win for Hastings marks the fourth year in a row (of four possible races) that an ASU woman distance runner has captured the conference crown. Indoors, Hastings earned All-America honors in the 5,000m run while also setting the school record in the event.

As the graduate assistant, Quintana had a hand in guiding the women's cross country team to their fifth NCAA appearance in a row. The women also finished second at both the 2002 NCAA West Region and Pac-10 Championship meets while establishing school records at both races for the lowest point total. The 2002 men's squad finished third at the conference meet and qualified two individuals, J.J. Duke and Fasil Bizuneh, for the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. Quintana also spent time tutoring Hastings to a World Cross Country Junior Championship berth in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she was the top American finisher (20th place).

During his competitive career at Villanova University, he captained the Wildcat squad to a pair of Top 10 finishes, placing fourth in 1992 and ninth in 1994 at the NCAA Championships. Individually, he claimed three NCAA Cross Country All-America certificates with finishes of 16th, 14th, and 4th. Quintana also qualified for four indoor and outdoor NCAA Track and Field Championships as well as the 1992 USA Olympic Trials. In 1993, he was named Male Outstanding Performer at the prestigious Penn Relays and, for his efforts, made the cover of the July 1993 issue of Track and Field News.

In all, Quintana garnered nine All-America awards during his career on the Main Line. He received his bachelor's degree in History from VU in 1996 and recently completed his Master's degree in Education Curriculum and Instruction with a major in Language and Literacy from ASU. A standout runner in high school, he was the last California prep runner to claim the National Footlocker Cross Country Championship having secured the crown in 1990.

Quintana and his wife, Andi, reside in Tempe with their daughter, Ellie.