Technician, teacher, and jazzman, Ronnye Harrison joined the Sooners' track and field staff prior to the 2015-16 academic year after heading up the track and field program at Portland State for six years. He is in charge of all of the sprints, hurdles and relays at OU. Additionally, he will be the coaching staff liaison with the academic support staff. That position is a key one for OU head coach, Jim VanHootegem, who believes that the academic success of OU’s student-athletes is always a prerequisite to what is done on the athletic fields.

In his first year at OU, Harrison helped guide the Sooners to great results.  In the outdoor season, the women's 4x400-relay won OU's first Big 12 Conference title in the event, and the first in school history in the event since 1990.  That quartet, along with the women’s 4x100 relay, advanced to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. In addition, two sprinters qualified for the championships. In the indoor season, one runner qualified for the NCAA Championship.  Much of that success was on the feet of All-American Daye Shon Roberson, who produced a couple of world-ranked times in the indoor 400- and 200-meter events.

Harrison began his stint as the head track and field/cross country coach at PSU in 2009. Harrison was hired at PSU as an assistant coach in August 2008 and was named interim head coach in September of that year when the previous head coach left for another job. The interim was removed from his title in August 2009. The turnaround in the Vikings’ program was significant in Harrison’s tenure.

His 2015 PSU women’s team is coming off of its most successful season in history. Two PSU athletes qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, the first time in school history for more than one athlete to qualify for the NCAA. One of those athletes became just the third second-team All-American in school history.