May 11, 2011
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Texas A&M assistant coach Dan Waters has been named head men's and women's track coach at the University of Alabama, UA Director of Athletics Mal Moore announced Wednesday. Waters will lead the Crimson Tide track and field program starting after the conclusion of the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in June.
"After an intensive and thorough national search, we are proud to welcome Dan Waters as the head coach of our combined men's and women's track and field programs," Moore said. "We set out to find a coach who would bring energy, organization and a winning background to our track and field program. Dan has a proven record of conference as well as national championship success and he is an outstanding recruiter who will put together an excellent coaching staff. We are very excited about the future of Alabama track and field."
Waters will oversee a combined men's and women's program at Alabama as the two teams will transition into a combined program following the conclusion of the 2011 outdoor track and field season in June.
"I am excited to have the opportunity to lead the Alabama track and field program," Waters noted. "Alabama has an outstanding reputation in college athletics and a rich tradition in track and field. I look forward to the challenge ahead. Coach Moore has a vision for our program and he is dedicated to being the very best. I look forward to working with him and the entire staff."
Currently in his seventh season at Texas A&M, Waters has served as the recruiting coordinator and distance coach for the Aggies under the tutelage of legendary A&M head coach Pat Henry.
"Dan has been a tremendous asset to our program over the last seven years," Henry said. "His work ethic, care and commitment to excellence are a great strength of his. I feel Dan not only has the desire to be a head coach, but he has what it takes to lead a program.
"Dan has become a close friend of mine and I'm sorry to lose him, but I'm also very happy that he has this opportunity. I want to wish Dan and his wife Jenny all the best."
Waters has been a key contributor to a coaching staff that has led the Aggies to unprecedented success on the conference and national scene as the Aggies have won four NCAA Outdoor national championships in the past two years, two each for the men and women.
In addition, the Aggie women won eight consecutive Big 12 titles over the past four years (four indoor and four outdoor from 2007 to 2010) while the A&M men claimed their first Big 12 Indoor title this year, the men's first conference indoor championship since a Southwest Conference team title in 1980. Both programs have been ranked No. 1 by USTFCCCA over the past couple of years during the indoor and outdoor seasons.
"It's always been a dream of mine to be a head coach, and it goes without saying that I am very excited about this opportunity," stated Waters. "However, I will be sad to leave the Texas A&M community and all of the athletes I have come to know so well.
"It's been an honor been working here, learning from Coach Henry and this Aggie staff. I'm also very appreciative of the support A&M Athletic Director Bill Byrne gives to track and field. The way this staff and department has built conference and national championship teams gives me a invaluable blue print of what I would like to accomplish as head coach at Alabama."
One of the nation's top distance coaches, Waters also served as the recruiting coordinator at Texas A&M and assisted the process of upgrading the program's talent level to be consistently competitive on the conference and national level. His recruiting and coaching efforts have been important ingredients in the men and women each winning consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2009 and 2010, as the program became just the second school to achieve the NCAA Championship double-double since LSU in 1989 and 1990.
Recent recruiting classes at Texas A&M have earned No. 1 rankings by Track & Field News. In fact, in 2009 both the men and women recruiting classes were chosen the top recruiting classes in the nation by the monthly magazine, becoming just the second school to earn that acclaim in the 15-year history of Track & Field News ranking collegiate classes. The Aggie women also enjoyed a three-year run as the No. 1 class, from 2007 to 2009, becoming the first women's program to achieve the feat.
Known for his strong administrative and organizational skills, Waters has overseen the event management at championship events, including the 2009 and 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships, 2009 Big 12 Indoor Championships, and 2003 Southeastern Conference Cross Country Championships.
In cross country, Waters earned the Men's South Central Region Coach of the Year honor in 2008 when Texas A&M won the team title during the region meet and qualified for the NCAA Championships. It was the first time in 18 years that a team defeated powerhouse Arkansas for the region title. Waters has also qualified 17 individuals to the NCAA Cross Country Championships over the past 15 years. The region team title the Aggie men claimed in 2008 was the schools first since 2003 and just the sixth overall. It also marked the first time that a distance coach on Henry's staff qualified a cross country team to the NCAA Championships.
Waters came to Texas A&M in August 2004 after serving a three-year stint overseeing the distance program at the University of Georgia and five years at Texas Christian in a similar capacity.
During his stay in Athens, Ga., Waters led the Bulldogs men's team to the program's first appearance in the NCAA Cross Country Championships, as well as a team victory at the NCAA South Region Championships. At the conference level, the Georgia men placed second for the highest finish in school history, while the women's team matched its highest finish with a runner-up effort. On the track, Waters' distance runners broke seven school records.
At TCU, Waters helped the Horned Frogs to four Western Athletic Conference team championships - two in indoor track and field, one in outdoor track and field, and one in cross country. The 2000 WAC cross country and indoor track crowns were the first team conference titles in TCU history. During his stay in Fort Worth, the Horned Frogs notched four top-four NCAA finishes and TCU was ranked No. 1 nationally by Trackwire.com in 2001.
Waters began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Texas from 1995-96.
Waters is married to the former Jennifer Miller. He received his bachelor's degree in secondary education from the University of Kansas in 1995. A standout runner for the Jayhawks, Waters was the 1992 Big Eight champion in the 800 meters and ran a leg on KU's All-America indoor 3,200-meter relay in 1991. Elected the Jayhawks' team captain in 1993 and 1995, Waters was an Academic All-American in 1995.