The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics hired 2017 Division II Women’s Outdoor National Coach of the Year Darren Flowers, who spent the previous nine seasons as the head coach of the track & field and cross country program at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU), as the UTRGV Track & Field and Cross Country head coach on June 19, 2017.
Since joining UTRGV, Flowers has experienced unprecedented success, as his student-athletes have combined for 37 program records, 31 individual championships, 10 outdoor track & field NCAA Regional qualifications and two cross country NCAA Championships qualification across his first three cross country, three indoor track & field and two outdoor track & field seasons.
During the 2020 indoor season, UTRGV won nine WAC Championships for the second-straight year. Five student-athletes came home with two gold medals, as Paul May and Samariae Bonds both won the weight throw and the shot put, Abraham Chirchir won the 5,000 and 3,000-meter runs, and Max Carmona and Mariano Hernandez won the 800-meter run and 400-meter dash, respectively, before teaming with Miguel Escamilla and Ackeem Gordon to win the 4x400-meter relay. May broke the program record in the shot put and recorded the second-best weight throw in program history. Bonds recorded the second-best weight throw and shot put in program history. Chirchir recorded fourth-fastest 5,000-meter run and the sixth-fastest 3,000-meter run in program history. Carmona recorded the second-fastest 800-meter run in program history. Hernandez recoded the sixth-fastest 400-meter dash in program history. The 4x400-meter relay was the fifth-fastest in program history. The women's team finished third in the WAC, the best team finish in program history.
During the 2019 cross country season, Flowers coached Abraham Chirchir to his second-straight appearance at the NCAA Championships while guiding the women's team to a fourth place finish at the NCAA South Central Regional after previously being unranked.
During the summer of 2019, Flowers saw three of his student-athletes, Dimitris Levantinos, Yariel Matute and Diamond Thomas, excelled on the international stage. Levantinos competed in the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) Championships, winning the U23 Greek Championship in the 400-meter hurdles. Matute competed in the Central American Championships in Nicaragua, winning a goal medal in the 200-meter dash. Thomas won a national championship and broke the Trinidad & Tobago record in the hammer throw.
During the 2019 outdoor season, Flowers’ teams claimed championships in the women’s shot put, long jump, and discuss, while the men claimed championships in the 400-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay. As a team, the men finished a program-best second in the WAC. On the women’s side, Dorcas Koech earned WAC Freshman of the Year honors. Seven student-athletes, including six women, combined for eight NCAA West Preliminary Round qualifications, including Diamond Thomas, who became the first in program history qualify in multiple events (shot put and discus).
During the 2019 indoor season, Flowers’ squad had three major award winners, including Track Athlete of the Year Yariel Matute, Field Athlete of the Year Idatonye Cheetham West, and Freshman of the Year Dorcas Koech. His team also claimed championships in the women’s long jump, shot put, 400-meter dash and 5,000-meter run and the men’s 400-meter dash, mile run, 3,000-meter run, 5,000-meter run and 4x400-meter relay. The men’s team finished a program-best second in the WAC while the women came in a program-best fourth.
During the 2018 cross country season, Flowers guided both teams to their best rankings in program history, as the men were as high as No. 3 in the South Central Region while the women were as high as No. 7. The men had their best WAC finish in program history, coming in second, while Omer Almog and Abraham Chirchir finished 2-3 individually. Chirchir earned WAC Freshman of the Year honors and then finished second at the NCAA Regionals to earn a spot in the NCAA Championships. Chirchir was the No. 9 ranked freshman in the nation while Mercy Chelangat was ranked No. 7.
That was Chirchir’s third WAC Freshman of the Year award after previously earning the honor during the 2018 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. Flowers also coached the top women’s point scorer during the 2018 WAC Indoor Championships in Cheetham-West.
UTRGV won a pair of WAC Championships during the 2018 outdoor season, including the men’s discus and 5,000-meter run while sending two student-athletes, Abraham Chirchir (10,000-meter run) and Anthony Magallon (high jump) to the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
During the 2018 indoor track & field season, Flowers coached four student-athletes to four WAC Championships, including the women’s long jump and the men’s shot put, high jump, 3,000-meter run and 5,000-meter run.
Flowers was 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 12th 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).
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 20th 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 14th.
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 11th 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.
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.
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.
