LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State track and field and cross country head coach Orin Richburg has announced his retirement after nine seasons coaching the Aggies.
 
"We certainly appreciate the time that Orin Richburg dedicated as the Aggie Cross Country and Track and Field head coach," said Director of Athletics Mario Moccia. "His student-athletes did tremendous in the classroom and were great examples in the community in his tenure. From an athletic standpoint, we saw positive strides and great individual accomplishment in conference, regional and national competition during his tenure. It is widely known that of the 17 sports that we sponsor, track and field has the most difficult situation, without the ability to compete at home. Through it all though, Orin always remained a consummate professional. With his reputation in the international community, representing Team USA, it was a great privilege to have someone of his stature represent New Mexico State on the world stage."
 
Assistant coaches Larry Carmichael and Joseph Rath will serve as interim co-head coaches for the remainder of the cross country season and the track and field season.
 
During his tenure in Las Cruces, Richburg built the cross country and track and field programs into regional powerhouses. Since 2008, the Aggies have won 27 individual Western Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships under Richburg's guidance with 11 indoor and 16 outdoor. Richburg's teams have rewritten the NM State record books with 14 indoor records and 13 outdoor records set during his tenure.
 
Not only has Richburg racked up numerous championships in track and field, he also helped his athletes garner their share of individual honors. Under his tutelage Brianna Cromartie was named the 2013 WAC Track Athlete of the Year and earned the 2013 WAC Indoor Championships High Point Award. In 2016, Richburg guided Katara Nelson to the WAC Outdoor Championships High Point Award and Kimberly Salinas to the 2016 WAC Freshman of the Year Award. Richburg also helped guide four Aggie athletes to the 2013 USA Indoor Championships.
 
In Cross Country, Richburg coached the Aggies to the WAC Women's Cross Country Championship in 2010. He also guided Hab Rubio to the 2014 WAC Men's Cross Country Individual Championship, the first in school history. In addition, he coached Courtney Schultz to three WAC Women's Cross Country Championships in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Schultz also qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2011 and 2012. Under Richburg's guidance, junior Jereme Santistevan won the 2014 WAC Freshman of the Year Award.
 
While winning championships is important, Richburg always strived to make his teams competitive in the classroom as well. In his time at New Mexico State, teams were consistently on the WAC and U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Award lists.  
 
Orin Richburg is respected not only at the collegiate level, but also at the national and international level. In 2008, Richburg was tabbed as the head relay coach for the USA Track and Field Olympic team in Beijing, China. Most recently, he was served as the head coach for the U.S. U20 track & field team at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.  He has also served as the head relay coach for Team USA at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, China, and as a relay coach at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Additionally, he has been the sprint coordinatior for the senior national team since 1995. Richburg was the head coach for the U.S. National team at the World Track and Field Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was also the head coach for the U.S. National Team at the 1997 World Indoor Championships in Paris, France.
 
Prior to coming to NM State, Richburg spent 16 years at the University of Washington as the head track and field coach. While at UW, he coached 15 Pac-10 Individual Champions, three NCAA Individual Champions and four Olympians.
 
Before arriving at Washington, Richburg spent seven seasons at Kent State, and earned Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year in 1980. He directed the men's team to a third-place conference finish in 1984, the school's best team finish since 1979. Richburg also recruited and coached two-time 100 and 200-meter MAC champion Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson went on to win the bronze medal in the 200-meter dash at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
 
A 1970 graduate of Kent State, Richburg earned his bachelor's degree in health and physical education. He later earned his master's in education from Western Michigan, where he was also an assistant track coach for three years.
 
Richburg and his wife, Telva, have two children and have two grandchildren.