Derrick Atkins joined the Georgia State staff in February 2026 as an assistant coach for sprints and jumps.
Atkins enters his first season in Atlanta with a proven record of building championship-caliber programs and developing elite student-athletes. He most recently spent four seasons as head women’s track and field coach at Utah Tech University, where his leadership produced 36 indoor and outdoor school records and 17 WAC All-Conference selections. The program also showed consistent year-over-year competitive growth while excelling in the classroom, earning 20 indoor and 45 outdoor Academic All-Conference honors. Known for his work in sprints, hurdles, jumps and middle-distance events, Atkins emphasizes individualized training, technical precision and mental resilience to help athletes maximize performance.
Prior to Utah Tech, Atkins was named Men’s Coach of the Year at Western Carolina University after leading the program to its highest men’s team GPA, two Southern Conference team championships, eight conference champions, 25 All-Conference honorees and two NCAA regional qualifiers. He also spent three seasons at Kennesaw State University as the assistant coach for sprints and relays, contributing to six ASUN men’s championships and the program’s first women’s indoor and outdoor ASUN titles. During his time at Kennesaw State, he coached 32 ASUN individual champions and 83 All-Conference performers while developing NCAA regional qualifiers and school-record holders, including All-American hurdler Jocselyn Powell and record-setting sprinter Hannah Woods.
A two-time Olympian for the Bahamas in 2008 and 2012, Atkins brings world-class competitive experience to his coaching. He is a World Championships silver medalist and the Bahamian national record holder in the 100 meters with a time of 9.91. A seven-time NAIA national champion and 15-time All-American, he helped lead Dickinson State University to two NAIA national team titles and was later inducted into both the NAIA Hall of Fame and the Dickinson State Hall of Fame.
Atkins holds a Master of Science in coaching education from Ohio University (2019) and a Bachelor of Science in exercise science from Dickinson State (2011). He and his wife, Angie, have two children, Jayden and Dash. He remains committed to holistic athlete development, competitive excellence and academic success.
