Louie Quintana

Title:
Head Coach Track and Field/Cross Country
Email:
Louie.Quintana@oregonstate.edu

Louie Quintana has elevated the standard for Oregon State Cross Country and Track & Field since being named the head track and field and cross country coach on July 17, 2017.

In 2022-23, his sixth season at the helm, Quintana led the Beavers to the 2022 NCAA Cross Country National Championships for the third time in school history, coached a school-best three individual indoor track All-Americans and an NCAA-era-high of three outdoor track All-Americans.

The Beavers also set school-highs of 8^th place and 55 points at the Pac-12 Track & Field Championships including the school’s first Pac-12 Champion in Grace Fetherstonhaugh. The redshirt senior won both the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 5,000 meters to accrue 20 points for the Beavs and was the school’s first-ever Pac-12 Track Athlete of the Year. Kaylee Mitchell (steeplechase) and Jade Whitfield (discus) earned runner-up results. Whitfield’s was the Beavers best finish by a thrower at the Pac-12 Championships. All three first-or-second place finishers at Pac-12s were first-team All-Americans and scored for the Beavers at the outdoor national championships.

Indoors, Fetherstonhaugh (3,000 meters) and Mitchell (Mile, 3,000 meters) earned three All-America honors between them, the most individual honors in school history. Across both indoor and outdoor seasons, the Beavers broke 15 school records as Quintana’s squad reset the standard of excellence for Oregon State Track & Field.

The indoor performance came on the heels of an outstanding cross country season where OSU made the NCAA National Championships thanks to an outstanding regional performance. Mitchell won the regional and was the USTFCCCA West Regional Runner of the Year while Fetherstonhaugh and Christina Geisler gave the Beavs the most All-Region runners in school history. Fetherstonhaugh and Mitchell doubled the program’s number of All-American runners with both earning the honors while the Beavs debuted three freshmen – Emily van Valkenburg, Kate Laurent and Teaghan Knox – at the national championships en route to a 24^th place result.

The historic 2022-23 campaign followed an equally important one in 2021-22 which saw the Beavers make massive strides both indoors and out. Mitchell became the Beavs first outdoor point-scorer since 1986 with her sixth-place finish in the steeplechase – teaming up with Fetherstonhaugh for All-American honors in the event. The duo also teamed up with Mari Friedman and Adael Scatena to break the school record in the distance medley relay indoors while finishing fourth at the national championships to score indoors for the first time since 1984. Mitchell also qualified for the cross country national championships, placing 71^st after a slow start.

In Quintana’s fourth season at the helm, the Beavs set four school records with Fetherstonhaugh in the 5K (15:58.93), Batya Beard in the 10K (33:25.86), Mitchell in the 3,000M steeplechase (9:48.30), and Lindsay McShane in the hammer throw (64.47m/211' 6"). The 2020-21 Oregon State track and field team posted a combined 36 top-10 performances in school history.

Quintana coached Mitchell to a third-place finish at the Pac-12 Championships in the 3,000m steeplechase. Five other Beavers -- Beard, McShane, Delaney Bahn, Fetherstonhaugh, and Taylor Crockem -- each finished in the top-eight at the Pac-12 Championships to score team points for OSU. Oregon State sent seven athletes to the NCAA West Regionals and Fetherstonhaugh finished seventh with a time of 9:50.40 in the 3,000m steeplechase to advance.

During what was a shortened indoor track and field season, Quintana coached Fetherstonhaugh to second-team All-American honors at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships. She was just the third athlete in program history to qualify for the event as she finished 14th in the 5K with a time of 16:22.03.

In 2020-21, Quintana led the OSU cross country team to the best finishes in program history at the NCAA Championships (16th; 375 points) and Pac-12 Championships (4th; 100 points). He coached Mitchell to the best individual finish in school history at the NCAA Championships (20th; 20:38.5). Mitchell and Bear, were tabbed All-Americans, becoming the first cross country All-Americans in program history.

His time in Corvallis brought success to the track & field and cross country programs in only three years. The 2018-19 cross country season was a historic one as Quintana guided the group to multiple milestones including their highest regional ranking (No. 6), highest finish at the conference meet (6th) and also led the women to qualify for the NCAA Championships for the first time in school history.

Quintana arrived at OSU after a highly successful 16-year coaching tenure at Arizona State University, one of the most successful programs in the country. He served as the Sun Devils’ head men’s and women’s cross country coach, and the program’s distance and middle-distance coach from 2004 to his hire in Corvallis.

Quintana’s success as a coach included 12 ASU cross country teams advancing to the NCAA Championships, three runner-up placings at the Pac-12 Championships, the first two Sun Devil individual conference champions in the history of the program, and six NCAA individual track and field distance and middle-distance titlists.

He coached 48 All-Americans, 27 Pac-12 or Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) champions, and numerous athletes who excelled internationally. In 2006, he was named the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Distance Coach of the Year.

“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity and I want to thank Scott Barnes and Kyle Pifer (senior. associate athletic director) for believing in my vision to put the Oregon State program on the national map” Quintana said at the time of his hire. “There is great potential with this program and I’m excited to team back up with coach Dave Dumble (current OSU assistant coach/former ASU assistant) to move this program up the ranks in the Pac-12 Conference and NCAA.

“Corvallis is a great community and Oregon State is a very special place. I’m looking forward to getting to work.”

Quintana arrived at ASU as a graduate assistant coach in 2001 before being elevated to assistant coach/recruiting coordinator in 2003.

He was a nine-time NCAA All-American as a student-athlete at Villanova University (1991-95). He was the 1993 Penn Relays MVP, qualified for the 1992 Olympic Trials in the 1500 meters and competed in Europe multiple times. Quintana was a two-time All-American distance runner at Arroyo Grande High School in California, capturing the 1990 state cross country title with what remains the fourth fastest time.

What They Are Saying About Coach Quintana

“Louie’s thoughtful approach and vision for our program stood out to our search committee,” Beaver Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Barnes said upon the announcement. “He was a highly accomplished college and prep student-athlete who will relate well to current and future members of our teams. His commitment to student-athlete growth academically, personally and as an athlete are important factors that ultimately led us to Coach Quintana.

“We are very excited about what lies ahead for our program under Coach Quintana and welcome him to Beaver Nation.”
“I’m so excited for Coach Quintana. Oregon State is a program with enormous potential and with Coach Quintana leading the way, great things will happen. Coach Quintana has been inspiring athletes for years to not only be the best athletes but also the best people. There is something very special about Coach Quintana’s ability to motivate and turn a group of individuals into a team. He motivates athletes to achieve things they don’t believe possible. He creates an atmosphere where athletes are willing to dig a little deeper for the overall team goals.” – former ASU athlete Amy Hastings, a 10-time NCAA All-American, NCAA Champion and USA Olympic Trials Champion.

“There is no way to dispute that Louie is one of the best collegiate coaches in the country. His knowledge and experience goes unquestioned by anyone who runs the numbers. But what sets Louie apart from the crowd are two main things: first -- he can make everyone feel as though they are his best friend. He's incredibly personable and building that strong relationship is a huge factor in trusting your coach and being successful under him. second -- he has a history of believing in people before they believe in themselves. You can see it all over him, that he truly enjoys getting an athlete to a point that they never saw themselves getting to. Louie really is a special coach and I wish him the best of luck at Oregon State.” – former ASU athlete Shelby Houlihan, a 12-time NCAA All-American, NCAA Champion and 2016 Olympian.

“I couldn’t be happier for Louie. He has literally done it all at the highest level as an athlete and as a coach. We welcome him to the state and we look forward to working with him in the future.” -- University of Portland men’s cross country and track head coach Rob Conner.

“After working with Louie for 16 years at Arizona State University, I am beyond excited to pair up with him again. Louie’s energy and vision will be a great addition to Oregon State University as we continue to build our program to new heights.” -- current OSU assistant coach David Dumble.

"For the past 16 years Coach Quintana has worked through the ranks of our program as a graduate assistant, assistant coach and finally as our head cross country coach. During coach Quintana's tenure with us he has helped produce Sun Devil national champions at 800m, 1500m, 3K, 5K, 10K and the steeplechase. The timing of this promotion is at the right time for Louie and his career. Coach Quintana is ready for this challenge." – Arizona State Director of Track and Field, Greg Kraft