Former Middlebury head cross country coach Terry Aldrich has been selected to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Coaches Hall of Fame. Aldrich becomes the first Panther coach to receive the prestigious accolade.

"I am truly honored by our national track and field and cross country coaches organization for induction into the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame," said Aldrich. "I am sincerely humbled to be selected to join a group of our nation's esteemed and elite college coaches. I am thankful to Middlebury College for giving me the privilege to coach such incredibly talented and highly motivated student-athletes over my 36-year career."

"What a great and well-deserved honor for Terry," said head cross country coach Nicole Wilkerson. "His years of commitment and dedication to Middlebury cross country resulted in many national titles and set a precedent for excellence. The incredible network of alums that excelled under your guidance applaud this honor. It's a great day to be a Panther!"

Taking the reins of the men's and women's programs in 1975, Aldrich turned each into national contenders. In 1985, he helped guide Dorcas Denhartog '87 to the first individual cross country title in school history. 

Middlebury flourished under Aldrich's guidance once NESCAC institutions began NCAA team competition with the 1993-94 season. The women's squad appeared in the national invite 15 times over the next 17 years and took home six NCAA titles. The Panthers' repeat titles in 2000 and 2001 made them the third school to go back-to-back in Division III cross country history. The women's squad won 11 NESCAC team titles under Aldrich's watch and had nine individual champions. The 2010 squad still holds the conference record for the lowest score with 26 points. 

On the men's side, the program had one individual league champion, with Mike Graham '84 earning the crown at the 1983 conference championships hosted by Amherst. The Panthers sent Aldrich off with an unforgettable 2010 campaign that included the team's lone NESCAC title and first berth to the NCAA Championship in school history.

In his tenure as head coach, 28 athletes achieved All-American status. Aldrich was also a six-time NESCAC, New England, and National Coach of the Year. The Panther was inducted into the Middlebury Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018 and the St. Lawrence Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987.

The 2026 class will be recognized on Thursday, December 15 at the annual USTFCCCA convention in Grapevine, Texas.