Matt Gutridge, who had served as assistant coach/director of operations for the Yale cross country and track and field programs since 2018, was promoted to head men’s cross country coach/assistant track and field coach in 2022.
In his first full season in his new role, Gutridge helped Sean Kay '24 earn All-Region and first team All-Ivy honors in cross country, then go on to earn a spot in the NCAA First Round East competition in the 10K outdoors.
The men's cross country team and track and field teams have excelled academically, earning the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Award every year that Gutridge has been on staff. The Bulldogs' cross country team GPA of 3.53 tied for 37th nationally in 2022.
Gutridge's time as an assistant and director of operations at Yale also produced some remarkable results. Women's cross country had three individual Ivy League Heps champions from 2018 through 2021. Men's cross country had its best Ivy League Heps team score since 2015 – and its second-best team score since 2003 – in 2019.
Prior to coming to Yale Gutridge served as an assistant coach at William & Mary from 2011 to 2018, leading a revival of the long sprint and middle distance groups. He helped coach the cross country teams and was responsible for coaching athletes between the distances of 400m (including hurdles) and 1,000m.
Prior to his time at W&M, Gutridge spent three years coaching cross country and track and field and teaching English at Grafton High School in Yorktown, Va.
Gutridge graduated from Virginia in 2007 with a degree in English and completed his Masters of Teaching degree from UVA's Curry School of Education that same year. As a student-athlete he helped UVA to a pair of ACC Championships and three NCAA Championships appearances in cross country. On the track, he was a regular on Virginia's ACC meet squad in the distance races and qualified for the IC4A Championships as well.
Gutridge is a native of Ruther Glen, Va., and attended Caroline High School.
