Michael DuPaul is in his fifth season with the Lafayette track and field and cross country program.
DuPaul comes to College Hill after spending the last two seasons as the assistant cross country and track and field coach at Maryland-Baltimore County. While at UMBC he oversaw the development of the university’s first ever cross-country All-American while also contributing to the school’s first NCAA regional participant on the women’s side.
Prior to his time at UMBC, DuPaul spent five seasons as an assistant at Hartford. While with the Hawks, he acted as the program’s recruiting coordinator as well as working with middle and distance runners. As a student-athlete, DuPaul competed at the University of Connecticut, capturing a Big East Indoor Track and Field Championship in 2006, as well as a New England Track and Field Championship in 2006.
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. DuPaul 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, DuPaul 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 lead the men to a fourth place finish at the Patriot League Championships. With this finish, DuPaul and 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.
DuPaul has been a part of some school breaking records during his time at Lafayette. In 2018, he helped coach the 4x800 meter relay team (Hewlett, Kwapinski, Spiess, C. Harmon) to a school record time in 8:58.78. This record had stood for 27 years. In 2019, he helped coach Caroline Harmon to a record breaking time in the mile in 4:32.28. The previous record stood for 28 years. Also in 2019, he coached Autumn Sands to a second place finish in the 5,000 meter run at the Patriot League. He lead both the men and women to a 17th place finish at the 2019 Mid-Atlantic Regionals, the highest finish since 2005 for the men, and 2009 for the women. During the 2019 Patriot League Cross Country Championships, the men moved up one spot, while the women moved up one slot under the coaching of DuPaul. DuPaul also helped coach Caroline Harmon to both the indoor and outdoor school records, which had been standing for 28 and 27 years, respectively.
The 2020 and 2021 seasons have also seen more records broken under DuPaul. Ryan Branch broke a 37 year school record in the outdoor men's 5,000 meter run. Ainsley Jacobs also broke a long school record under DuPaul, breaking a 18 year old school record in the 5,000 meter run. Jacobs was also the first Lafayette women in school history to be named Patriot League Athlete of the Week under DuPaul. DuPaul also helped coach the school record breaking 4x800 meter relay team in indoor track and the school record in the Distance Medley Relay.
Athletes under DuPaul have run over 50 All-Time Top 10 performances in his five seasons at Lafayette. Women athletes DuPaul has coached hold 23 top ten times in school history, with five of them being school records. The men DuPaul have coached have 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.
His certifications include: USTFCCCA Endurance Specialist, USTFCCCA Jumps Specialist, and USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning.
