Ricky Vaughn begins his sixth season as head coach of The University of Texas-Pan American men's and women's track and field and cross country programs.

During his tenure as head coach of the UTPA men's and women's track and field and cross country programs, Vaughn has seen the program rise to a new level that was once-previously thought to be unimaginable and unattainable.

With every passing cross country season, indoor track and field season and outdoor track and field season, the Broncs and Lady Broncs have continued to gain national recognition on the field of competition, in the classroom as well as in the community under Vaughn's watchful eye.

With more than 17 years of coaching experience, Vaughn has trained and developed six NCAA National Champions, 36 All-Americans, 10 Western Athletic Conference Champions, one NCAA South Central Regional Champion and one Southeastern Conference Champion.

In addition to recognition around the nation, Vaughn has also achieved recognition at the highest level of track and field as he coached Alex Papadamitrious, who was a 1996 Olympian for Greece and still holds the national record in his home country in the hammer throw.

Some of the greatest student-athletes to have ever donned the Green and Orange for UTPA have come under Vaughn's tutelage. Westly Keating became the program's first five-time All-American and became the first track and field athlete to ever capture All-American honors in two separate seasons after transferring back to the Rio Grande Valley from the University of Texas.

The former UTPA standout recorded his third All-American honor in cross country after he finished fifth overall out of 253 runners at the 2005 NCAA Division I National Championships in Terre Haute, IN. He followed up that performance with an All-American showing at the 2006 NCAA Division I National Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, CA, where he finished eighth overall in the 10,000-meter race.

This was the second time in Keating's career that he had captured All-American honors in both cross country and outdoor track and field, and he was rewarded with a spot on the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-American Team. He was also awarded with UTPA Male Student-Athlete of the Year accolades for the second time in his career.

Vaughn helped Keating record 21 individual championships, capture 11 program records and record South Central Regional Runner of the Year honors after he became the first UTPA runner to win the NCAA Division I South Central Regional Cross Country Championships when he broke the course record at Baylor University.

During the 2005 cross country season, the Broncs finished fourth overall, which was their best finish in program history, and land three athletes on the All-South Central Regional Team in Keating, Hector Gandara and Luis Nava. That season also became the first time that UTPA had sent two athletes to the NCAA Division I National Cross Country Championships in Keating and Gandara.

Vaughn also helped the Broncs make history during the 2006 indoor track and field season as he guided Will Littleton to All-American honors in the high jump. The UTPA junior became the second-ever member of the UTPA track and field program and first high jumper to post All-American honors as he finished eighth overall at the 2006 NCAA Division I National Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, AR.

Littleton had a rough, but glorious road to the NCAA Division I National Indoor Track and Field Championships as he won three meets at George Mason, University of Florida and LSU - and broke three program records in a span of six days. He posted a mark of 7-2.50 on two occasions, including the national championships, in the high jump and was awarded with United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-American honors and was selected as the UTPA Male Newcomer of the Year.

The UTPA men's and women's track and field programs made continuous strides on the national scene as Littleton was selected to compete at the 2006 AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis, IN, where he finished seventh overall in the high jump.

Wendy Wells and J.J. Hernandez each represented UTPA at the 2006 Finish Line/USA Track and Field Junior Championships in Indianapolis, IN. During the national competition, Wells finished ninth overall in the javelin while Hernandez competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

The national competition was the conclusion of a stellar freshman season for Wells as she became the program's all-time record holder in the javelin while qualifying for the NCAA Division I Midwest Regional Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She earned a trip to Austin, TX, for the regional competition along with sophomore Amanda Ferris, who competed in the hammer throw. Wells finished 14th overall while Ferris concluded the regional competition with a 17th-place showing.

During the 2005 indoor and outdoor track and field seasons, Vaughn mentored and guided a pair of All-Americans in Amy Moses and Isaac Ybarra, who both qualified for the NCAA Division I National Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships in their respective events. It was the first time in program history that the Bronc and Lady Bronc track and field programs had a pair of student-athletes earn All-American laurels in the same season.

Under the mentorship of Vaughn, Ybarra became UTPA's first male Indoor Track and Field All-American after he finished seventh overall at the NCAA Division I National Indoor Track and Field Championships with a program record throw of 69-2.5 in the 35-lb. weight throw. He was later rewarded with United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-American honors.

Moses finished her career as one of the most decorate female student-athletes to ever wear the Lady Broncs' uniform in any sport as she became the first female Indoor All-American in program history by finishing sixth overall at the NCAA Division I National Indoor Track and Field Championships. During her career, Moses finished with 21 total individual titles and set the Canadian National Record in the 20-lb. weight throw at the Last Chance Meet hosted by the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL.

At the 2005 UTPA Athletic Banquet, Vaughn watched as his student-athletes captured award after award with Moses earning Female Student-Athlete of the Year honors for the second time in her career as well as Ybarra claming Co-Male Student-Athlete of the Year recognition. Gandara was also named the UTPA Male Newcomer of the Year for his efforts during the cross country season.

During the 2005 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Midwest Regional Championships, the Broncs and Lady Broncs sent a record eight student-athletes and qualified 14 regional competitors during the previous two seasons. Over the course of the last four seasons, Vaughn has guided 23 student-athletes in a variety of events to the regional championships.

Along with sending a plethora of student-athletes to the regional championships every season, Vaughn has watched as his student-athletes have broken over 40 individual program records since he became the head coach of the UTPA men's and women's track and field and cross country programs.

In his third season at the helm of the Broncs and Lady Broncs, Vaughn guided six student-athletes to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Midwest Regional Championships for the second consecutive season. That season, Ybarra advanced in the hammer throw to the NCAA Division I National Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which was only the second time in program history that a male UTPA track and field performer had advanced to nationals.

Along with Ybarra, the Broncs and Lady Broncs were also represented by Rashaad Ben (100-meter hurdles), Marlin Manley (high jump), Jeff Martzall (pole vault), Rowena Hamlet (400-meter hurdles) and Moses (hammer throw). Every one of those student-athletes that advanced to the regional championships ended the season by capturing the program record in their respective events.

The previous season, Moses became the first female student-athlete to ever qualify for the NCAA Division I National Indoor Track and Field Championships, which she garnered by throwing the ninth-best throw in the country that season in the 20-lb. weight throw.

The UTPA head coach watched as the Broncs and Lady Broncs sent six student-athletes to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Midwest Regional Championships during the spring of 2003 where they finished 25th overall. The Broncs were represented by Keating (5,000 meters), Manley (high jump), Ben (110-meter hurdles), Martzall (pole vault) and Robert Lopez (hammer throw) while Deneb DeLuna (shot put ) was the lone Lady Bronc to compete at the regional competition.

Vaughn came to the Rio Grande Valley after serving as the top assistant coach for the LSU track and field programs for three seasons. He was part of a coaching staff that guided the Tigers to the 2001 Men's Indoor Track and Field National Championship then followed-up that performance with a fifth-place showing at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships where LSU sent 23 student-athletes to compete.

Vaughn also trained and developed Blake Theriot, who became the first LSU javelin throw to earn All-American honors as well as capture the SEC Championship in over a decade. In addition, he assisted in coaching the LSU Tigers' women's track and field program to the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championship along with the 1999 SEC Indoor Track and Field Championship.

Prior to joining the track and field program at LSU, Vaughn spent two seasons at UTEP where he coached both the men's and women's program as well as served as the recruiting coordinator. A well-respected recruiting around the nation, Vaughn was responsible for signing 21 All-Americans during his time with the Miners.

During the 1996-97 season, Vaughn helped guide UTEP to the Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship. That season, he guided Harri Vahauihu to the runner-up spot at the NCAA Division I National Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The previous season, he guided Papadamitrious to the NCAA Division I National Championship in the 35-lbs. weight throw as well as a runner-up finish in the hammer throw.

Vaughn served as the field events and strength and conditioning coach for the men's and women's track and field and cross country programs at Ashland University in Ashland, OH. During his tenure with the Eagles, Vaughn guided several student-athletes to the NCAA Division II National Outdoor Track and Field Championships, including shot putter Leether Green - who previously held the women's NCAA Division II record.

The UTPA head men's and women's track and field and cross country coach competed in the hammer throw at the 1992 United States Olympic Trails and was invited to participate in the United States Olympic Festival and USA Track and Field Championships. During his post-collegiate career, Vaughn was ranked as high as seventh in the nation in the hammer throw between 1989 and 1994.

As a student-athlete at Angelo State University, Vaughn was a three-time All-American and captured the Lone Star Conference Championships in both the discus and hammer throw on two occasions.

Vaughn graduated from Angelo State University with a bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in biology in 1989. While coaching at Ashland University, he earned his master's degree in education in 1991.

Vaughn and his wife, Mary, reside in Weslaco with their two sons - Reid and Rawley.