Michael DuPaul was tabbed as the women’s and men’s cross country programs’ head coach in August, 2022.
DuPaul, who served as assistant cross country and track and field coach on Hilltop Circle from 2015-2017, also coaches the distance runners on UMBC’s track and field squads.
Prior to returning to Baltimore, DuPaul spent five seasons as assistant cross country and track and field coach at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa.
In 2020, DuPaul helped lead the men's cross country team to a third place finish (their highest since 1998) at the Patriot League Championships. He helped lead two runners into the top 10, and five in the top 20. Ryan Branch's seventh place finish was the highest finish in the modern era of the Patriot League.
DuPaul also helped lead the men to a ninth place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Region, the highest in school history. On the women's side, the new Retriever mentor helped lead the women to a fourth place finish, at the Patriot League Championships. Ainsley Jacobs top ten finish was the second highest finisher in school history at the Patriot League Championships. He also helped lead the women to a 10th place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Region, the second highest finish in school history.
In 2021, DuPaul led the men to a fourth place finish at the Patriot League Championships. With this finish, the men received a regional ranking of 10, which is the second highest in school history. Bobby Oehrlein became the Lafayette athlete in school history to make the Patriot League All-League team twice.
Athletes under DuPaul recorded over 50 All-Time Top 10 performances in the five seasons he spent at Lafayette. Women athletes held 23 top ten times in school history, with five of them being school records. The men accounted for six top ten times in school history, with one of them being a school record. Finally, DuPaul has also coached Emily Moore, who received Academic All-American status for cross country.
In DuPaul’s first season at UMBC, he helped guide Hassan Omar to All-America honors with a 27th- place at the 2015 NCAA Championships. Omar earned the program’s first-ever medalist honors at the 2015 America East Championships and also competed in the 2016 NCAA East Regionals in the 10,000 meters.
In 2017, DuPaul coached Sophia Cologer to an NCAA regional appearance in the steeplechase, UMBC’s first female distance runner to quality for the meet.
Prior to his first stint at UMBC, DuPaul spent five years as assistant cross country and track and field coach at the University of Hartford. He earned his M.S. degree in accounting and taxation at UH, after completing his B.S. in business administration at the University of Connecticut.
His certifications include: USTFCCCA Endurance Specialist, USTFCCCA Jumps Specialist, and USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning.
Recent Accomplishments at UMBC
2024-2025 UMBC Team Success
- Men’s DMR ranked #40 in NCAA, indoor and outdoor 4x800m relays ranked #10 and #12 in NCAA
- School records in the men’s 800 (1:48.18), 1000m (2:22.63), men’s Mile (4:01.86) and men’s 5k
- School record in men’s DMR - 9:40.98 and Men’s outdoor 4x800m relay - 7:24.14
- America East Championships in indoor men’s DMR, 800, and 4x800
- Athletes placed 1st and 2nd in men’s 1000m at America East Indoor Championships
- Men’s outdoor 4x800m relay won America East Championship
- Men’s 4x800m relays won 4 straight conference championships - indoors and outdoors 2024 and 2025
- America East All Conference Athletes in women’s 1000m, 800m, and 4x800m
- Men’s Outdoor Track placed 2nd in America East Championships - equaling best ever program finish
- 2025 IC4A Men’s Team Runner Up - highest ever UMBC finish at IC4A Championships
- 2024 Men’s XC season produced highest conference finish since 2014
- 2024 Men’s XC Team finished #12 in Mid-Atlantic Region - highest since 2015
- Two 2nd team All-Conference men during 2024 XC season
- Alexis Tepper placed 38th in Mid-Atlantic Regional with 21:01 - school record for the course
- Alexis Tepper earned 1st Team All Conference in 2024 XC season
- Women’s team had a school record for 6k team average on Penn State’s course
2022-2023 / 2023-2024 UMBC Team Success
- Coached the 2023 and 2024 Men’s America East Outdoor Track and Field 800m champions (first since 2014)
- Coached the first ever Men’s America East Indoor 1000m champion in UMBC history (2024)
- Coached the America East Indoor and Outdoor Men’s 4x8 relay champions - first time ever winning both in same year
- Three men’s All-America East Athletes in cross country, 1 in 2022 and 2 in 2023
- One women’s All-America East Athlete in cross country (2022)
- 2023 was the first time UMBC had both a men’s and women’s Cross Country All-Conference athlete since 2015
- Men’s cross country school record at Navy cross country course, as well as #2 performer all time
- Coached the men’s first IC4A 4x800m relay championship in UMBC history
- 2024 Indoor Men’s Distance Medley Relay ranked #37 in the NCAA, Men’s 4x800m relay Ranked #7 in NCAA
- Coached 5 school records in 2024 - Men’s Indoor 1000m, Men’s Indoor 1 mile, Men’s Indoor Distance Medley Relay, Mens Indoor 4x800m relay, and Men’s Outdoor 4x800m relay.
- Coached 4 Conference Champions in 2024 - Men’s Indoor 1000m, Men’s Indoor 4x800m Relay, Men’s Outdoor 800m, and Men’s Outdoor 4x800m relay
- Coached the Women’s America East Outdoor Championship 4x800m relay - first UMBC team to win since 2018
- Coached both men’s and women’s 4x800m America East Outdoor Track Champions - first time in history both won in the same year
- Coached the Women’s Outdoor ECAC Championship 3rd place finisher in the 10,000m
- Won the 2024 Men’s Outdoor Track Coaching Staff of the Year Award at America East Championships as men placed 3rd overall
- Tyler Edson placed 6th in 800m at USATF U20 Championships
