During his debut season as the coach, he did not disappoint as the Mansfield program earned two PSAC championship titles by their senior Skylar Brown. Brown was the first indoor champion for the program since 2013-14 after she dismantled the conference in the 60-meter dash and became the first Mansfield woman to win the 100-meter dash at the PSAC Outdoor Championships for the track and field program. The sprinter also broke the 60 and 200-meter dash indoor and outdoor program records and grabbed a silver medal in the event at the outdoor conference championships. Abigail Taylor also claimed a bronze medal in the indoor triple jump championships as she broke the school records. Madison Ziska also reset her school long jump record.
Rondell Ruff was named the next head coach of the Mansfield Mountaineers men's and women's track and field program on September 5, 2023.
Ruff joins the Mounties after spending the past five years at the University of Detroit Mercy, where he was responsible for training the sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers, and relay teams. He was also a top recruiting coordinator.
He coached athletes to school records in the men's 60- and outdoor 100-meter dashes along with 110-hurdles and 4x100-meter relay. He is also responsible for coaching the 2023 Horizon League Indoor Championship Co-Athlete of the Meet and 2022 Indoor Horizon League Championship freshman of the meet. On the Women's side, he coached school records in the 60-, 200 indoor, 100, and 200 outdoor meter dashes, along with indoor and outdoor long jump and the 60- and 100-meter hurdles.
Ruff spent two seasons as head coach for men's and women's cross country and women's track and field at Wayne State from 2015-17. His teams earned USATFCCA All Academic Honors. His athletes broke 24 school records. He helped lead Karrington Seals to three All American honors in her career.
Prior to his stint at Wayne State, Ruff spent time at Army West Point as a track and field assistant, where he designed the training program for the men and women sprints and relays as well as the 800-meter run. Ruff has also had career stops at Saint Francis University and his alma mater Michigan University.
Ruff was a four-year letter winner for Michigan cross country and track and field teams from 2002-06 and was captain for both squads in his final season. A former walk-on at Michigan, Ruff won two Big Ten indoor distance medley relay titles (2002, 2005) before clinching the indoor national championship title in 2005, where he ran 2:56.3 in the opening 1200m leg. He received All-America accolades in the distance medley under coach Ron Warhurst as the quartet became the third relay team to join the list of NCAA Champions in Michigan's history.
Throughout his career, Ruff placed in the top-10 at four Big Ten indoor championships and two outdoor championships, including a first-place finish in the distance medley relay during his freshman year.
He is a 2006 graduate of Michigan University with a degree in General Studies and earned his Master's in Educational Leadership and Administration from Saint Francis University in 2011.
