David Pickett to Join Track and Field Coaching Staff

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama track and field and cross country head coach Dan Waters added David Pickett to the coaching staff, the program announced Wednesday. Pickett will aid current assistant coach Blaine Wiley with the Crimson Tide's sprints, hurdles and relay contingent.

Pickett arrives to Tuscaloosa after serving a two-year stint at Columbia where he guided the men's and women's sprints group to 16 Ivy League medals and 24 top-10 all-time program-best performances. Throughout his coaching tenure, the 2019 USTFCCCA Regional Coach of the Year mentored 23 different NCAA event qualifiers, 24 individual conference champions and 85 all-conference selections.

Head Coach Dan Waters Said

"We're excited to add a veteran coach like David to our staff. He brings a wealth of experience and has worked tirelessly to develop his craft over the years. His knowledge of the sport and his ability to connect with athletes will allow him to seamlessly step in and help us continue to compete at the highest levels. I'm confident he'll make an immediate impact on our program."

Assistant Coach David Pickett Said

"I'm excited to join the University of Alabama family and am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside an incredible coaching staff. I look forward to helping our student-athletes excel academically, athletically and professionally."

David Pickett | The Résumé

Assistant Coach at Columbia (sprints, relays) – 2023-25
- Mentored a student-athlete to a personal-best 46.42 in the 400m en route to All-Ivy honors
- Led an all-freshman women's 4x100-meter relay team to a program-best third-place finish at the conference meet
Assistant Coach at Colgate (sprints, hurdles) – 2020-23
- Served as interim head coach from Oct. 2022 to Jan. 2023
- Broke school records in the women's 200m, 400-meter hurdles and in the men's 4x100-meter relay
- Saw his event group contribute to upwards of 60% of the team's points at the 2023 Patriot League Outdoor Championships
Assistant Coach at North Greenville (sprints, hurdles, jumps) – 2016-20
- Named the 2019 Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year by the USTFCCCA
- Coached student-athletes to 13 All-America honors, 14 conference titles and four USTFCCCA All-Academic awards
- Oversaw 21 school records broken between 2018 and 2020
- Guided the men's 4x100-meter relay to a NCAA Division II national runner-up finish in 2019
- Mentored a pair of Regional Athletes of the Year honorees, as well as the program's first female national qualifier
Served as an assistant track and field/cross country coach at Milligan (2013-16) after volunteering with East Tennessee State's program from 2012-13
Graduated with a bachelor of science in health and wellness from UNC Asheville (Dec. 2010) where he also competed as a sprinter on the track and field team
Earned a master of arts in kinesiology and sport studies, with a concentration in sport management, from East Tennessee State (May 2013)
Holds five different USTFCCCA coaching certifications

University of Alabama Athletics