Albion College

Derick Lawrence, who guided the Trinity University men’s and women’s cross country teams to Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championships and berths in the NCAA Division III Championships in both his years at the helm, has been named head cross country and assistant track & field coach at Albion College, Briton athletic director Matt Arend announced July 17.

“I am excited to have Derick join the Briton athletic department,” Arend said. “His runners have enjoyed success at the conference, regional and national level, all while achieving academic success at prestigious institutions. His philosophy matches well with our mission to excel academically, athletically, and in the community.”

Lawrence said, “Albion has an incredible tradition of academic and athletic excellence as a top national liberal arts college in a storied conference like the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and a highly competitive Great Lakes region. I look forward to building upon the success already established, while at the same time creating a new chapter of Albion College cross country.

“I am very excited to join the Albion family and ready to get started,” Lawrence added. “I would like to thank Athletic Director Matt Arend and the search committee for giving me this opportunity.”

A 2007 graduate of DePauw University, Lawrence was selected the South/Southeast Region Women’s Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2013 after the Trinity women’s squad captured back-to-back regional titles and later went on to finish 12^th and 20^th place at the NCAA Division III Championships, respectively.  Both the men’s and women’s squads captured SCAC cross country championships for the first time in school history in Lawrence’s first year as head coach in 2012 and achieved back-to-back titles in 2013. Lawrence was only the second coach in SCAC history to sweep both Coach of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons, since DePauw’s Kori Stoffregen achieved the feat in 2005 and 2006. The women’s squad won both titles in a unique fashion by achieving a perfect score of 15 points in both years (placing its five scoring runners in first through fifth place) marking the first and second-ever perfect scores in SCAC women’s cross country championship history and only the third ever perfect score in conference history (Lawrence was a member of the DePauw men’s team in 2005 that achieved this feat). The Trinity men’s squad finished second in the regional and 32^nd in the NCAA Championships during the 2012 season, becoming the first team in men’s program history to qualify for the championships.

In all, Trinity has produced one regional individual champion, 19 all-region, two individual conference champions, and 32 all-conference performers in cross country during Lawrence’s first two years as head coach. As an assistant track & field coach, Lawrence trained a runner who qualified for the 10,000-meter run in the NCAA Division III Championships. Lawrence helped guide the men’s track & field program to back-to-back SCAC titles in 2013 and 2014 along with the women’s team to a 2013 conference title.

Lawrence arrived at Trinity as assistant cross country and track & field coach in 2010. The Tigers produced the 2010 SCAC women’s cross country Newcomer of the Year, the 2011 SCAC women’s cross country individual champion and Runner of the Year, four individual women’s qualifiers to the NCAA Division III Championships, and 11 all-region performers in cross country during the 2010-2011 campaigns.

Prior to joining the Trinity staff, Lawrence was a graduate assistant coach for two years at his alma mater. He helped DePauw produce two cross country and six track & field NCAA All-American performances. In addition, Lawrence mentored one cross country and seven track and field SCAC champions. Lawrence helped guide the women’s cross country program to 26^th and 20^th place team finishes at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in 2008 and 2009, respectively.  The women’s track & field program finished 16^th and 18^th at the 2010 Indoor and Outdoor NCAA Track & Field Championships, respectively.

Lawrence got his start in the coaching profession as a volunteer assistant with the Indiana State University men’s cross country and track and field teams. The Sycamores placed as high as third in the Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships during his tenure. While at Indiana State, Lawrence assisted in hosting the 2007 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships at the La Vern Gibson Championship Course. He earned a Master of Arts in recreation and sport management from Indiana State in 2010.

He received the Bachelor of Arts in kinesiology (emphasis in exercise science) from DePauw in 2007. As a student-athlete, Lawrence achieved all-SCAC cross country status in 2006 and turned in the school’s eighth-best all-time performance in the 10,000 meters, during the 2007 track campaign.

Lawrence holds a Level 1 Coaching Education Certificate from USA Track and Field and a U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Endurance Event Specialist Certification. During the 2013 cross country season, Lawrence was the South/Southeast Region Women’s Cross Country Representative and a member of the NCAA Division III Cross Country Executive Committee.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Lawrence graduated from Elder High School in 2003, helping the Panthers finish 7^th in 2000 and 14^th in 2001 at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I State Cross Country Championships.

Lawrence and his wife Emily, who is an assistant coach with the track and field team, reside in Albion with their dog, Sherlock, and cat, Porter.

Derick Lawrence by the Numbers

COACHING HONORS

●     Two-time NCAA Division III South/Southeast Region Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year (2012, 2013)

●     Two-time SCAC Conference Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year (2012, 2013)

●     Two-time SCAC Conference Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year (2012, 2013)

●     NCAA Division III South/Southeast Region Women’s Cross Country Representative/NCAA Division III Cross Country Executive Committee (2013-2014)

ATHLETE HONORS

●     Eight NCAA Division III All-Americans

○     Cross Country - 2

○     Track - 6 (400 meter Hurdles, 800 meters (indoor & outdoor), 1,500 meters, Mile (indoor), 5,000 meters)

●     Four NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championship berths

○     2008 - 26th

○     2009 - 20th

○     2012 - 12th

○     2013 - 20th

●     One NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country Championship berth

○     2012 - 32nd

●     Two NCAA Division III South/Southeast Region Women’s Cross Country Team Championships (2012, 2013)

●     One NCAA Division III South/Southeast Region Women’s Cross Country Individual Champion & Athlete-of-the-Year (2013)

●     39 All-Region Cross Country Individual Performances (2008-2013)

●     Four Conference Women’s Cross Country Team Championships (2008, 2009, 2012, 2013)

●     Two Conference Men’s Cross Country Team Championships (2012, 2013)

●     Three Conference Women’s Cross Country Individual Champions (2009, 2012, 2013)

●     26 Conference Track & Field Individual Champions (2010-2014)

●     20 NCAA Division III USTFCCCA All-Academic Individuals (2010-2014 Cross Country, Track)

●     Three NCAA Division III USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams (2012, 2013)

●     One NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Recipient (2011)

ALL-TIME BESTS OF ATHLETES