Dixie State University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Jason Boothe announced on Thursday the appointment of Derrick Atkins the new head women's track and field coach.

"I am thrilled to welcome Derrick and his family to Dixie State to lead our Women's Track and Field program," Dr. Boothe said. "He brings a wealth of knowledge and world-class experience with him to help our young team grow and compete at the highest level.

"Derrick will undoubtedly provide an elite level of coaching that our team will need to take the next step," Boothe added. "He will strive to instill determination, ambition, sacrifice, and hard work in each student-athlete as he develops them into not only great student-athletes, but leaders beyond their college years as well. He has competed and won at the highest levels of track and field and I have no doubt that he will also be very successful here during this exciting time at Dixie State!"

Boothe also noted that Katy Young Staudt with Ventura Partners assisted in DSU's national search for the program's new head coach.

"I am really excited about the opportunity to be the head coach at Dixie State," said Coach Atkins. "Being able to bring my previous experience of being a professional athlete, and my previous experience at two great championship institutions, to help Dixie become that school and to put Dixie on the map in terms of track and field."

Coach Atkins comes to Dixie State after spending the past two seasons as an assistant track coach at Western Carolina University. While at WCU, he was instrumental in helping guide the Catamounts to a 2019 Southern Conference men's indoor and outdoor championship sweep, as well as a women's indoor runner-up finish in 2019, and a 2020 men's indoor second-place showing.

In 2019, Atkins helped coach 40 all-conference performers, including 15 conference individual champions and three NCAA qualifiers. In addition, 30 Catamount student-athletes earned academic all-conference honors as the team finished with a 3.40 cumulative GPA.

Prior to his arrival to WCU, Atkins served three seasons as an assistant coach at Kennesaw State. During his time at KSU, he was a part of two men's Atlantic Sun Conference indoor and outdoor track and field championships and helped guide the Owls' women's team to its first indoor and outdoor conference crowns.

Additionally, he coached eight A-Sun individual champions and 15 all-conference athletes. In 2017, Atkins coach Hannah Woods to two school records (7.48/60-meters and 11.48/100-m), and during Woods' senior year, she was an NCAA East Regional qualifier in the 100-meters. Atkins also coached the KSU women's 4x100-m relay team to an NCAA East Regional qualification. Atkins is also a nationally certified coach, holding a USTFCCCA Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps and Relays Specialist certification.

During his distinguished athletic career, Atkins was a semi-finalist in the 100-m in both Beijing (2008) and London (2012) Summer Olympics Games for his native country of The Bahamas. He also competed in three World Track and Field Championships, one of which he won a Silver Medal in the 100-m after he clocked the current Bahamas national record time of 9.91.

In 2016, Atkins was inducted in the Dickinson State University (N.D.) Athletic Hall of Fame, and was a 2013 NAIA Hall of Fame inductee in the athlete category. He excelled in both indoor and outdoor track and field for four years at Dickinson State, where he still owns several indoor and outdoor conference sprint records, and where he helped lead the Blue Hawks to four Dakota Athletic Conference championships.

Atkins was a seven-time NAIA national champion, winning titles in the 55-m, 100-m and 200-m in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In addition, he is a 15-time All-American in the sprints and relays. Atkins led Dickinson State to consecutive NAIA outdoor national championships in 2004 and 2005, and to a runner-up finish in 2003.