Derek Nelson took over as the Head Coach of men’s and women’s track and field in July 2025.
Prior to Ursinus College, Nelson spent 7 seasons in Atlanta, Ga. coaching at Emory University. In his first year at Emory University, he served as the interim head coach, where he won the 2019 USTFCCCA South/Southeast Region outdoor head coach of the year award for women’s track and field. His women’s program finished 7th at the outdoor NCAA championship, had the national champion in the 400m hurdles, runner up in the 100m, and 5 other All-Americans.
In the following six seasons Coach Nelson coached one National Champion, 16 All-Americans, 31 UAA event champions, 9 UAA Performer of the Year Awards. In his final season at Emory the men’s team won the outdoor UAA championship. Nelson was named the USTFCCCA women’s outdoor assistant coach of the year three consecutive times from 2023-2025.
From 2016-2018, Nelson served as a volunteer assistant at the University of Illinois where we worked with the sprinters, jumpers, and hurdlers. He helped mentor five All-America performers, 12 NCAA Regional qualifiers, three Big Ten champions and a dozen All-Big Ten honorees.
Prior to his stint at Illinois, Nelson spent one season on the coaching staff at North Central College, where he oversaw the instruction of sprinters, hurdlers, javelin and multis across the men's and women's programs. In 2016 he played a key role in guiding four individual athletes and two relays to the NCAA D-III Championships. From that group came the National Champion in the women's indoor 60-meter hurdles, the runner-up in the 100 hurdles, and a total of five All-America awards.
Nelson was born in Davis, California and started his collegiate career at Ripon College (WI) where he played football and was a national qualifier in the 400m hurdles. After transferring to North Central College (IL) he qualified for six NCAA championship meets and was a three time All-American. In 2014 Nelson earned his bachelor's degree in Sports Managment, and in 2016 earned his master's degree in leadership of Higher Education Administration. Nelson holds the USTFCCCA jumps specialist and strength and conditioning certifications.
