University of Maryland Eastern Shore names LaMonte Vaughn Jr. as the head coach of track & field and cross country programs


 
PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland – LaMonte Vaughn Jr. has been selected as the head coach of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore's track & field and cross country programs.


"After conducting a national search, we are excited to welcome Coach Vaughn to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore," said Vice President of Athletics Tara A. Owens. "Coach Vaughn has demonstrated a passion for mentoring young student-athletes while developing successful and competitive teams throughout a coaching career that spans nearly 30 years. He brings great experiences, enthusiasm and excitement to UMES. Under his leadership, we believe our student-athletes will be positioned to succeed in competition, in the classroom, and in the community."


Vaughn comes to UMES with nearly three decades of coaching experience, including tenures at Grambling State, Louisiana Tech, Bethel, UCLA, Washington, and Marshall. Prior to coaching, Vaughn was a standout middle-distance runner at the University of Kentucky. Over the span of his career, Vaughn has coached over 20 NCAA All-Americans and 60 NCAA Qualifiers.

Vaughn spent the previous six seasons coaching at Grambling State University, including the last three years as head coach following the retirement of Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Famer Bertram Lovell. While at GSU, he coached seven individual SWAC Champions and 13 NCAA East Regional qualifiers while his student-athletes set 10 school records.


During his time at Louisiana Tech, Vaughn coached Jeremy Hicks to a Conference USA championship and an NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship title, where Hicks ran a school-record 6.64 in the 60-meter dash. In addition, Hicks made NCAA regional appearances in the 100 meters and 200 meters, recording personal bests of 10.23 and 20.72, respectively.


At Bethel, Vaughn helped Rakeo Cox earn all-conference honors in the 400-meter hurdles in 2015 with a third-place finish at the Southern States Athletic Conference Championships.


While coaching at UCLA, Vaughn helped develop the men's 4x100-meter relay team into an NCAA finalist and Pac-10 champion, posting a time of 39.45. Max Dyce made two NCAA regional appearances in the 200 meters with a personal best of 20.72, while RJ Frasier made an NCAA regional appearance in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 50.92.


At Washington, Vaughn coached several All-Americans, including Ashlee Lodree (100-meter hurdles, 12.99) and Jordan Boase (200 meters, 20.37; 400 meters, 44.82). Lodree was a six-time All-American specializing in hurdle events, while Boase was a standout quarter-miler and member of several All-American relay squads.


Vaughn also coached the Huskies' men's 4x100-meter relay team to a Pac-10 title in 2008. He helped guide the men's 4x400-meter relay team to a school-record time of 3:03.85 in 2005. The relay placed third at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships with a time of 3:03.07 and eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a time of 3:04.22.


Shane Charles won the 2006 Pac-10 title in the 400-meter hurdles and set a Grenadian national record of 49.51. During his tenure with the Huskies, Vaughn helped coach athletes to nine school records, 19 NCAA Championship meet appearances, 25 West Region qualifications, two USA Track & Field Senior National qualifiers (Boase and Lodree), and 65 performances that ranked among Washington's all-time top 10.


Vaughn served as an assistant coach at Marshall University from 1999 to 2003, where he coached athletes to 13 school records and guided BJ Epps to the 2000 Mid-American Conference title in the 400-meter hurdles. Vaughn's first collegiate coaching position came as a graduate assistant at Eastern Kentucky University.


Vaughn began his coaching career at Titusville High School in Florida. While there, he developed nationally ranked athletes, including Alisha Denson and Mario Lowe. Denson won two Florida state championships in the high jump and achieved a top-15 national ranking with a jump of 5 feet, 10¾ inches. Lowe earned state runner-up finishes in both the triple jump (49 feet, 10¼ inches) and long jump (24 feet, 2 inches), with both marks ranking among the top 35 nationally.


"I am grateful to President Heidi M. Anderson, Vice President Tara A. Owens, and the search committee for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead the University of Maryland Eastern Shore's track & field and cross country programs," Vaughn said. "UMES has the foundation, resources, and potential to achieve great success. I look forward to working with our student-athletes as we elevate our programs, compete for championships, and earn degrees while representing the university with pride."


Vaughn is a 1997 graduate of the University of Kentucky, where he earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and health promotion/business. While competing for the Wildcats, Vaughn specialized in the 800-meter run. He advanced to the SEC finals three times and qualified for the NCAA Championships on three occasions.

ABOUT HAWK ATHLETICS 

 
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore sponsors an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics program. The University currently fields teams in 15 sports: women's and men's volleyball, women's bowling, women's and men's golf, women's and men's cross country, women's and men's basketball, women's and men's indoor track & field, women's and men's outdoor track & field, softball, and baseball.
 
 
The UMES women's volleyball, bowling, basketball, softball, track & field, and cross country programs compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). UMES golf, baseball, and men's volleyball compete as members of the Northeast Conference (NEC). In June, UMES also announced the addition of women's flag football which will compete in the MEAC beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.