Terry Aldrich To Step Down As Middlebury Nordic Coach

Source: Middlebury Press Release

After 30 years as head coach of the nordic ski team at Middlebury College, Terry Aldrich has announced that the 31st will be his final season at the helm of the program. Aldrich will maintain his responsibilities in physical education and continue to serve as head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country teams. In addition, he will assume administrative duties as an assistant director of athletics effective July 1, 2006.

“I began my collegiate coaching career in ’72 at UNH and have worked for the past 30 years here at Middlebury. After 34 years (including this season) of coaching nordic skiing, it’s time to step down and pass the reins to someone else,” said Aldrich.

Aldrich began his coaching at Middlebury in 1975-76, when he was hired as the Director of Skiing and the cross country programs at Middlebury. He spent 20 years as the director before the job was split in 1995-96, when he became the Director of Nordic Skiing. During his time in that position, Aldrich coached 30 All-Amercians as well as three Olympians (Sue Long ’84, Dorcas DenHartog ’88, ’92 and Andrew Johnson, ’02). His teams captured the ’79 and ’80 AIAW Women’s National Championships, while the ’04 squad won the EISA title, earning him EISA Coach of the Year honors.

Aldrich has been a member of the NCAA Ski Committee since ’84, serving as the rules editor since ’88. He also worked as an assistant coach for the ’80 Olympic nordic team in Lake Placid, while also working with the ’83 World Cup squad.
“The one thing I will miss the most is the camaraderie of the student-athletes and coaches,” said Aldrich. “The nordic skiing community is a very small, close-knit group and I’m really going to miss seeing everyone on a weekly basis through the winter.”

Aldrich is currently in his 31st season with the cross country programs at Middlebury. His women's teams have won numerous state, conference, ECAC, NCAA regional titles, as well as three NCAA Championships. During his tenure at Middlebury he has coached 22 cross-country All-Americans. After the '00, '01 and '03 seasons, in which the women won the National Championship, Aldrich was named the NESCAC, New England, and National Coach of the Year.

Prior to his arrival on campus, Aldrich served as the ski coach for three years at the University of New Hampshire. A 1968 graduate of St. Lawrence University, he was an outstanding scholar-athlete, serving as captain of the ski, track, and soccer teams. Shortly after graduation he earned a spot on both the national nordic team and the Olympic biathlon training squad and competed in the 1970 and 1971 World Championships.

“I look forward to continuing to work with cross country teams, where this year I have 55 runners in the program. I will continue teaching physical education classes which I sincerely enjoy, and I will assume additional administrative duties as determined by Russ Reilly, Director of Athletics. It is my hope that I can use my experience of the past 30 years to help the department in any way I can.”