EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Monday that 2017 Division II Women's Outdoor National Coach of the Year Darren Flowers, who spent the last nine seasons as the head coach of the track & field and cross country program at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU), is the new UTRGV Track & Field and Cross Country head coach.
 
Flowers is coming off of a spectacular year at WTAMU in which he led the women's team to the program's first Division II outdoor national championship. He also guided the team to four individual national championships in the 4x100-meter relay, long jump, triple jump and discus throw.
 
Flowers also earned his 12^th Lone Star Conference (LSC) Coach of the Year award after leading the women's track & field team to its second-straight outdoor conference title.
 
Throughout his tenure, Flowers guided WTAMU to seven LSC track and field championships, including four-straight women's indoor conference championships (2014-17), and six LSC cross country championships, including four-straight by the men's team (2013-16).
 
"This is a transformational day for UTRGV Track & Field and Cross Country," UTRGV Director of Athletics Chris King said. "Selecting Darren Flowers as our new head coach sets the course for a new era of success in all phases of our program. He brings an incredible record of success and experience as a 12-time conference coach of the year and 2017 National Coach of the Year. His extensive experience and success will maximize the potential of this program in short order as he has demonstrated the ability to recruit and develop student-athletes to perform at the highest level. We welcome Darren and his wife, Kristen, to the UTRGV family."
 
In 2016, Flowers guided Geoffrey Kipchumba to his second-straight LSC cross country individual championship while the team won its fourth-straight conference title. During the track & field season, Flowers helped the women's team to a sweep of the indoor and outdoor conference titles while also helping the men's team to an eighth place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships, the highest finish in program history.
 
In 2015, Flowers helped Kipchumba to earn the program's first All-American honors after he finished in 20^th place at the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships. Flowers also guided the women's indoor track & field team to its second-straight conference championship and its best finish at the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships, finishing tied for 14^th.
 
In 2014, Flowers guided the men's and women's indoor teams to a sweep of the LSC indoor championships en route to sweeping LSC Indoor Coach of the Year honors. He also helped the men's cross country team to its second-straight conference championship and an 11^th place finish at the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships, the best in program history. Under Flowers' tutelage, Emma Love won the LSC individual cross country championship while leading the team to a second place finish.
 
The men's and women's cross country teams were both crowned conference champions under Flowers in 2013 as he earned his second LSC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year award while guiding Dylan Doss to an individual LSC championship. 
 
In 2012, Flowers guided the women's team to its first LSC Cross Country Championship as Brenda Sindet won the individual LSC Championship. Flowers also guided the men's team to a second place finish en route to his first LSC Coach of the Year honor. 
 
"I'm truly honored to take on this challenge as the next head coach at UTRGV," Flowers said. "I feel that this track & field and cross country program has the potential to be something special. I promise to bring a vision, work ethic and culture that will match the direction in which this athletic department is already headed. We will be defined by hard work, humility and a willingness to serve others. That has always been my foundation for success and it will continue at UTRGV. I want to thank Chris King, Farrah Manthei and the administration for believing in me and giving me the support and confidence to take on this endeavor. I am ready to get to work."
 
Prior to taking the reigns of the programs at WTAMU, Flowers spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons working with WTAMU's strength and conditioning and as an assistant coach with the men's cross country team.
 
Before joining West Texas A&M, he spent 2006 and 2007 as an assistant coach at Moore High School where he coached both distance and sprint events. He began his career as the distance coach for Pantheon Sports Performance in 2005.
 
Flowers holds a USA Track and Field Level II certification in distance events. He received his Bachelor of Science in Management from Kaplan University in 2007. He earned his Master of Business Administration in Management from West Texas A&M in 2008.
 
"I would be remiss if I didn't thank Farrah Manthei, our Senior Associate Athletic Director and Sport Administrator for Track & Field and Cross Country for her leadership during this search," King said. "Farrah's leg work and research was an important part in the gathering of information toward the deep talent pool for this position."
 

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT DARREN FLOWERS

           
Wes Kittley, Texas Tech Track & Field and Cross Country Head Coach
I have been the head coach at Texas Tech for 18 years and I have known Darren for many years. Darren has been up the road at West Texas A&M, so I have been around him a lot. He is such a great person. UTRGV is not only getting a really good coach but they are getting a man that is a leader of young people and that is the most impressive thing about him.
 
Damon Martin, Adams State University Track & Field and Cross Country Head Coach
Darren's coaching abilities and the team building he has been able to do are tremendous. I am certain that he is going to build a program that everyone in the Rio Grande Valley is going to be proud of. As a coaching colleague, the thing that I am most impressed with is his ability to build a strong team culture. He built a very successful program culminating in a national title at West Texas A&M and I am sure he is going to build that same type of program at UTRGV.
 
Michael McBroom, West Texas A&M University Athletic Director
I believe Darren is one of the best and brightest coaches in track & field in the country today. His work at West Texas A&M speaks for itself in taking a program from scratch to national champions. I am very happy for Darren and Kristen to get the opportunity at UTRGV and I wish them nothing but success. UTRGV has hired an outstanding coach and an outstanding family.
 
Don Garrett, Long-time Texas Relays PA announcer
Darren is one the most terrific young and up and coming coaches. He is an outstanding recruiter and is equally as comfortable recruiting in small Texas towns and internationally. He has a terrific talent for finding talent. He does a very good job at developing his student-athletes. Each one of them becomes the best they can be by the time they finish up competing for Darren. I felt that he would have a shot at a Division I job soon and I am not surprised at all to see him move up to the Division I level. 

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