Ruqayya Gibson Named Alabama Track and Field Assistant Coach
8/30/2021 4:28:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
The veteran coach joins the Crimson Tide staff after spending the past 20 years working in the state of Texas
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama track and field added Ruqayya Gibson to its staff as an assistant coach working with the Crimson Tide's sprinters, head coach Dan Waters announced this week.
Gibson joins the Crimson Tide staff after working with the University of Houston's sprints and jumps group. The Cougars' women's sprint corps set a school record of 42.84 in the 4x100-meter relay during Gibson's tenure, while three men posted times between 11.14 and 11.27 in the 100 meters last season.
Prior to Houston, Gibson served as the head track and field coach at Cypress Springs High School. A total of 16 school records fell during her time at Cypress Springs, while the school produced nationally ranked relays and student-athletes in the sprints and jumps.
Gibson graduated from the University of Iowa in 1999 after serving as the captain of the Hawkeyes' track and field team in 1996, 1997 and 1998. She earned the University of Iowa Student Leadership Award and the Lou Ginsberg Humanitarian Award in 1999.
Head Coach Dan Waters Said
"A proven coach at all levels, Ruqayya Gibson is a tremendous addition to our staff. She brings a dynamic and charismatic personality to our program in addition to more than two decades of experience as a coach who makes her student-athletes better both in terms of their technique and their mental approach to training and competition. We talked to some of the most highly respected coaches in our business and they all spoke very highly of her abilities and style. There is no doubt that she's going to make our already strong sprint group better and we're excited to have her as part of what I feel is one of the best staffs in the nation."
More on Rugayya Gibson
- Coached Barbadian Olympian (2021)
- Coached nine NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifiers (2021)
- Coached two NCAA Indoor Championships qualifiers (2020)
- Sprint and hurdle specialist at Texas A&M Track and Field Camps in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, overseeing technical sessions for male and female sprinters/ hurdlers
- Altis Essentials Course Contributor (2018)
- Championship Productions Coaching Video (2018)
- Vype Girls' Track Coach of the Year (2018)
- Coached 6 Texas State Champions
- Coached 2016 Olympic Trials qualifier
- Texas Track and Field Coaches Association Coach Of the Year (2014)
- Brooks Running Inspirational Coach of The Year Finalist (2014)
- Coached Four UIL Texas State Meet Top-3 Team Finishes
- Coached Two New Balance Indoor National Champions
- AMHA Community Leadership Award (2009)
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