Smith College

Updated 9/5/13

Bill Fritz has been the head coach of the men’s cross country team for 41 years and he coached the women for 18 seasons.  In 1994, Fritz took over the head coach position for the track and field programs after serving as an assistant for 22 seasons.

Under Fritz, the men’s cross country team has won 19 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championships including 17 straight from 1974 to 1990.  The men have qualified for the national championship 19 times.  Since 1994, Fritz has been chosen the NCAA Division III Mideast Region Coach of the Year four times.  The women’s cross country team won three straight NJAC Championships from 1992-94.  In 1994, they captured their first NCAA Division III Mideast Region Championship.  For the first time, the women advanced to the national championship, finishing 11th overall.  Fritz was selected the NCAA Division III Mideast Region Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year.  Fritz was also the 2004 NJAC Coach of the Year.

In cross country, Fritz has coached 19 teams that have qualified for the Division III national championships.  He has had 12 men and two women named All-Americans.  In addition, he has coached 17 Academic All-American men and 15 women.  His men's teams have received Academic All-American honors eight times while the women earned the honor nine times.  The men have won seven Mideast Region crowns.  In addition, Fritz has coached two individual IC4A cross country champions.  Also to his credit are 20 NJAC team championships.

The men’s track and field team won four consecutive NJAC Championships (1994-97) under Fritz and finished tied for eighth at the 1997 NCAA Championships.  Overall, the Prof men have claimed 23 NJAC titles.  In 1997, Fritz was named the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Men’s Track and Field Mideast Region Coach of the Year.  The men had a fourth place finish at the 1999 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships and were 10th at the 2000 Outdoor Championships.  The Profs came in eighth place at the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.  Rowan finished 16th in the team scoring at the 2000 NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Championships and 14th in 2001.  The women’s team received Academic All-American honors for the first time in 2000 and again in 2001. There have been two women and one male with individual Academic All-America accolades.

For track and field, Fritz has guided one Division I champion, 43 Division III outdoor champions and 10 Division III indoor champions. The men’s 4x400 meter relay captured the national championship at the 2011 and 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.  Four women won national titles.  He also directed the teams to top 10 finishes from 1996-98 and in 2012.  Fritz has coached more than 265 All-Americans including men and women both indoor and outdoor.  Derrick "Ringo" Adamson was a 1984 and 1988 Olympian and was the 1980 Division III steeplechase champion.  Fritz was named the 2000 NJAC Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year and the 2007 and 2003 NJAC Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year.

He graduated from Northern State College (SD) in 1960 with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education.  Fritz received his master's from South Dakota State University in 1965.  He also did graduate work at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
Prior to Rowan, Fritz had several coaching stints.  He coached cross country, basketball and track and field at Wosley High School (SD) from 1960-62 and at Standing Rock Community High School (ND) from 1962-64.  From 1964-67, he returned to South Dakota State as a cross country and track assistant.  In addition, Fritz was at Southern Illinois University from 1967-70 where he was an assistant in track and field.

Fritz is a member of the Gloucester County Hall of Fame.  He has held various positions on the NCAA Track and Field Committee and in the NCAA Division III Cross Country Coaches Association. Fritz is a certified USA Track and Field (USATF) Level I and Level II Coach and also as a Lead Instructor.