Southern Maine Athletics

Rob Whitten joined the University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics staff in the fall of 2019 as head coach of Huskies' women's track & field and cross country program. In the Summer of 2022, Whitten was elevated to the position of Head Coach for both the men's and women's cross country and track & field programs.
 
Taking over the perennially successful programs from long-time head coach George Towle, Whitten inherited a program that has been successful at the conference, region and national level and has continued the rich tradition.  Since joining the Huskies’ staff, Whitten and his staff have made an immediate impact and guided the Southern Maine women to the LEC Outdoor Track & Field Championship title in 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 and LEC Indoor Track & Field titles in 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. Whitten also led the Huskies' men's program to an LEC Indoor Championship in 2024 and 2025. The men's and women's programs have combined for over 100 LEC event titles and 24 have major conference awards until Whitten.

In addition to conference and regional success, Whitten has coached seven athletes to All-American honors during his tenure, Adela Kalilwa, Sophia Slovenski, Ben Drummey (7x), Ethan Shain (3x), Will Carrolton, Zoe Barnes, and RIley Reitchel. An All-American in the pole vault, Slovenski won the national title in the javelin during the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Drummey was the NCAA Division III national champion in the pole vault at the indoor championships in 2022 and 2023. 

The Huskies had four student-athletes compete at the 2025 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships with Shain and Drummey earning All-American honors. During the outdoor season the Huskies sent five competitors to nationals and all five earned All-American status.

 

Prior to his appointment at Southern Maine, Whitten spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach with the University of Rhode Island (URI) men’s track and field program, focusing primarily on jumpers and multi-event athletes.  During his time with URI, Whitten helped develop 49 Atlantic-10 champions, 102 All-New England finishes, 17 New England champions, and 35 All-East/All-IC4A selections. During the 2018 season, Whitten was chosen by his peers as the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year for the Northeast Region.
 
Before URI, Whitten spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the University of Hartford, and also served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, the University of New Hampshire, and was part of the Wildcats 2006 America East Outdoor Track and Field Coaching Staff of the Year.

Coach Whitten’s Resume
101 LEC Champions | 23 NCAA Qualifiers | 13 All-Americans | 2 National Champions
2020 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship (4 champions)
2020 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year
 
2021 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship (9 champions)
2021 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Coaching Staff of the Year
2021 Little East Conference Women's Field Athlete of the Year (Adela Kalilwa)
2021 Little East Conference Women's Track Athlete of the Year (Lucy Knowlton)
2021 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor National Champion – Sophia Slovenski (javelin)
2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor All-American – Adela Kalilwa (triple jump)
 
2022 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship (7 champions)
2022 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year
2022 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Rookie Field Athlete of the Year (Jaigan Boudreau)
 
2022 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship (11 champions)
2022 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Coaching Staff of the Year
2022 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Rookie Field Athlete of the Year (Jaigan Boudreau)
2022 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year (Olivia Jalbert)
 
2023 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship (9 champions)
2023 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year
2023 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year (Olivia Jalbert)
2023 Little East Conference Men's Indoor Field Rookie of the Year (Christian Burke)
2023 NCAA Division III Men's Indoor National Champion - Ben Drummey (pole vault)

2023 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship (11 champions)
2023 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Coaching Staff of the Year
2023 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Rookie Track Athlete of the Year (Janiah Young)
2023 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year (Anna Reny)
2023 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Rookie Field Athlete of the Year (Riley Reitchel)
2023 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year (Zoe Barnes)
2023 Little East Conference Men's Outdoor Field Rookie of the Year (Christian Burke)
2023 NCAA Division III Outdoor All-American - Ben Drummey (pole vault)

2024 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship (7 champions)
2024 Little East Conference Men's Indoor Track & Field Championship (5 champions)
2024 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year
2024 Little East Conference Men's Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year
2024 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year (Olivia Jalbert)
2024 Little East Conference Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year (Ben Drummey)
2024 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Rookie Field Athlete of the Year (Kiana Goldberg)
2024 Little East Conference Men's Indoor Rookie Field Athlete of the Year (Corbin Flewelling)
2024 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Rookie Track of the Year (Sam Fenley)
2024 NCAA Division III Indoor First Team All-American - Ben Drummey (pole vault)
2024 NCAA Division III Indoor Second Team All-American - Ethan Shain (60m)

2024 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship (5 champions)
2024 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Coaching Staff of the Year
2024 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year (Zoe Barnes)
2024 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Rookie Track Athlete of the Year (Kiana Goldberg)


2025 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship (5 champions)
2025 Little East Conference Men's Indoor Track & Field Championship (8 champions)
2025 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year
2025 Little East Conference Men's Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year
2025 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year (Zoe Barnes)
2025 Little East Conference Women's Indoor Rookie Field Athlete of the Year (Khalysa Hammith)
2025 Little East Conference Men's Indoor Rookie Field Athlete of the Year (Joey Richards)
2025 NCAA Division III Indoor First Team All-American - Ethan Shain (60m)
2025 NCAA Division III Indoor Second Team All-American - Ben Drummey (pole vault)

2025 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship (6 champions)
2025 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Coaching Staff of the Year
2025 Little East Conference Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year (Zoe Barnes)
2025 Little East Conference Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year (Ethan Shain)
2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor First Team All-American - Riley Reitchel (javelin)
2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Second Team All-American - Zoe Barnes (discus)
2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Second Team All-American - Will Carrolton (discus)
2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Second Team All-American - Ethan Shain (100m)
2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Second Team All-American - Ben Drummey (pole vault)