Alma Mater: SUNY Morrisville, ‘95
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- SUNY Morrisville (1997-2006, 2008 – present)
- United East Coach of the Year (2022)
- 41 United East/NEAC All-Conference Runners
- Three United East/NEAC Individual Champions/Runners of the Year (2013, 2016, 2021)
- Two NEAC Rookies of the Year (2016, 2019)
- NEAC Coach of the Year (2013)
- 19 top-five finishes at Conference Championships
- Three NCAA Regional Championship Appearances
- 2001 NJCAA National Coach of the Year
ROAD TO MORRISVILLE:
Derek Powers enters his 27th overall season at the helm of the SUNY Morrisville cross country and track programs in the fall 2025.
Powers rejoined the SUNY Morrisville athletic department staff in the fall of 2008 after a two-year absence, as head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country program, and immediately set the tone for the Mustangs in league competition as a member of the NCAA, Division III.
Under Powers' guidance SUNY Morrisville has competed multiple times at the NCAA Mid-East Regional Championships, finishing 30th as a team out of 52 competing programs in 2015 for the first time. That same season, he coached Byron Evans to a record setting 25th place finish overall, as he became the program's first runner to earn All-Region accolades.
In 2016, Powers coached the men's team to an individual championship title, as Evans defeated the field of 101 runners to capture the win, a defeat that came at a 23 second distance. Evans is the first runner for Powers to earn All-Conference honors each of his four seasons of competition, earning NEAC Runner of the Year honors in 2016.
The success of the men’s team in 2016 follows the women who also claimed rights to an individual champion within the NEAC. In 2013, Powers coached Billie Jo Hinds to an individual title, also earning the league’s Coach of the Year honors, as selected by his peers.
Powers' teams continue to excel off the field of competition as well, earning recognition for their academic excellence, including USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors as they compiled a 3.28 team GPA in the fall 2016. Also, Evans was the first to earn USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual accolades.
Across his time with the Mustangs, Powers has had a total 29 runners earn All-Conference accolades as competitors within the NCAA, Division III, while having 19 finish in the top-five of the conference championships.
Prior to the Mustangs transition to the NCAA, Powers coached the men’s and women’s teams to several appearances in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Championship meets.
For two straight seasons, Powers coached the women’s team to a fourth place finish at the National Championships. In 2003, both the men’s and women’s teams placed fourth overall, with five earning All-American honors.
In all, Powers has produced several NJCAA All-Americans and several Academic All-Region and All-American selections.
The 2001 NJCAA National Coach of the Year is a 1995 graduate of SUNY Morrisville where he served as captain for two seasons on the men’s cross country and track and field teams.
Powers began his coaching career in 1997 as head coach of the cross country program at Morrisville and assistant coach of the distance track team. He continues to run competitively and has established himself as one of the top ranked distance runners in Upstate New York.
