Rick Rothman - Men's Cross Country Coach - Florida Atlantic University Athletics

Rick Rothman

Title:
Volunteer Assistant

Rick Rothman began as a volunteer assistant coach with the Florida Atlantic University men's and women's cross country and track teams in March 2014.

This past 2020-21 season, the women's cross country team finished in sixth place, the best finish for the team since belonging to Conference USA. Madlen Kappeler and Marisha Thompson also achieved All-Conference Second and Third Team honors, respectively.

The indoor track & field team finished the championships in seventh place with 40 points for the program's best mark since joining C-USA.

Rothman has coached for over 40 years with his teams winning 151 major championships, including seven state championships and finishing runner-up in 45 other major championships. He compiled a record of 7968-2183 for a 78.5% winning percentage-multi-team meet record and has 303 meet wins. His record includes seven state titles in girls cross country, two runner-up honors in girls and boys cross country, 12 regional titles and 25 district titles. His athletes have received more than 1,000 postseason honors throughout the 2013 season.

Rothman has been selected Coach of the Year 117 times, including State Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1999, 2002 and 2003 along with the Florida Track & Field Hall of Fame State Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2009. He was a finalist for the NHSACA National Coach of the Year in 2006 and named National Coach of the Year for girls cross country in 2012.

Rothman served as the FACA State Cross Country chairman from 1997-2005. He is USA Track and Field level one, level two and level three instructor certified, as well as a former national track & field official. He has also served as USA Track and Field Florida Association-South Vice President from 1998-2002, and was the head of cross country for USATF-Florida, while currently serving as the USATF-FL coaching education Chair.

In November 2000, Rothman was named the U.S. men's team coach for the International Ekiden in Chiba, Japan. In 2014, he coached the USATF men's senior and junior cross country team competing at the NACAC meet in Tobago. He also was the head coach for the United States junior track and field teams for the 2009 and 2013 Maccabi Games in Israel. Rothman was the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Chairman for cross country, and was inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame, the FACA Hall of Fame, as well as the FHSAA and Florida Track and Field Hall of Fames.

Rothman has an associate's degree from Miami-Dade Junior College and a bachelor's degree in biology from Florida State University. He retired after 33 years of teaching and 38 years of coaching at the high school level.