University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Adam Puett Named Director of Cross Country and Track & Field
06.12.2026 | Cross Country, Track and Field
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone announced the promotion of Adam Puett to Director of Cross Country and Track & Field on Friday, June 12.
Puett enters his 16th year with the Bulldogs and has served as the program's head cross country coach and associate track & field coach since 2020. He assumes leadership of the entire program following the passing of head track & field coach Joel Williams earlier this year after his courageous battle with cancer.
"While we continue to honor and remember Coach Joel Williams and the tremendous impact he had on our student-athletes and programs, we are confident in Adam's ability to lead both track & field and cross country with the same dedication, passion and commitment to excellence," said Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone. "He has earned the respect of our student-athletes, alumni and coaching staff throughout his time at Asheville, and we are excited for the future of our programs under his leadership."
A fixture within the Asheville cross country and track and field programs for more than a decade and a half, Puett has helped guide the Bulldogs to sustained success in both cross country and track & field. During his tenure, he has coached an NCAA All-American, numerous conference champions and dozens of All-Big South selections while helping student-athletes establish multiple program records.
As head cross country coach, Puett has elevated the Bulldogs to new heights. In 2023, he was named Big South Men's Coach of the Year after leading Asheville to one of its most successful seasons in program history. Under his leadership, the men's cross country team earned its first-ever USTFCCCA regional ranking and posted consecutive top regional finishes, while the program has consistently produced all-conference performers and school-record holders.
Most recently, Puett guided the women's cross country team to a runner-up finish at the 2025 Big South Conference Championships, the program's best finish in more than two decades, while the men's team recorded its fifth consecutive top-three conference finish.
In track & field, Puett has overseen the Bulldogs' distance athletes, helping numerous student-athletes break school records and earn all-conference honors. This past season, his distance athletes earned three Big South Championships during outdoor season and one during indoor season.
Under Puett's leadership this year, the program recorded 11 school records and six podium finishes at the 2025 Big South Indoor Championships and added six more school records and four podium finishes at the Big South Outdoor Championships.
Puett enjoyed an outstanding running career at Western Carolina University. He was the 2005 Western Carolina Male Athlete of the Year and 2006 Southern Conference Outdoor Performer of the Year. Puett earned All-Conference honors three times in cross country and 11 times in indoor and outdoor track. He was a five-time Southern Conference champion in indoor and outdoor track plus a four-time NCAA outdoor regional qualifier in the 1500 meter.
Before UNC Asheville, Puett served as an assistant coach at WCU for three years. The Alabama native coached 13 All-Conference performers and 6 Southern Conference champions during his tenure. He helped lead the Catamount programs to five different league championships. Puett graduated from Western Carolina in 2006 with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration.
And then earned his master's in Physical Education from WCU in 2009. Adam has a strength and conditioning certification through the USTFCCCA.
"I am deeply honored and excited to accept the role of Director of Cross Country and Track & Field at UNC Asheville," said Puett. "It has been a blessing to be able to work here for the past 16 years and see the growth of this program.
I want to thank Athletic Director Janet Cone and Chancellor Van Noort for their trust and confidence in me. I am thankful for the opportunity to lead this program and continue building on the strong foundation that has been established by all our former coaches. I also want to thank our current and former student-athletes. The success and culture of this program have been built through your hard work and commitment to UNC Asheville. Your dedication has helped shape who we are, and I am grateful for the impact each of you has had on our team. We will continue striving for excellence through hard work, accountability, and dedication in everything we do.
Our goal is to develop outstanding student-athletes who excel in the classroom, compete at a high level on the track and cross country course, and make a positive impact throughout the Asheville community. I believe the best is yet to come, and I look forward to what we can accomplish as a team. Go Bulldogs!"
