William Carey University shines bright under 3 time National Assistant Coach of the Year

Champions are not made overnight. It requires grit, passion, patience, and hard work from both the athlete and the coach before a champion gets crafted. Coach Malcolm Dias of William Carey University emphasizes the importance of this point of view in his practice. 

William Carey University is located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and is one of the highest-rated small Universities in the south region. Under Head Coach, Blake Hegstrom, Assistant Track & Field Coach Malcolm Dias, is hardworking and shows no mercy when it comes to training his sprinters. For him, the key to success is working hard but training smart at the same time. Although some of his sprinters may wonder why their rest times are so short, they can be sure that whatever they commit themselves is with a purpose. “We have to push ourselves past our limits to be able to get better,” says Coach Dias. He may be firm at pushing his athletes to explore more of their capabilities, but he is also a compassionate coach who listens to the needs and concerns of his athletes.

Being an athlete himself during his college years, he qualified for the National Championships multiple times, and he continues to hold the indoor 60m and outdoor 400m records for his former college, Indiana Wesleyan University. 

Today, Dias is on his way to his sixth year of coaching Track & Field at William Carey University. He has coached nine Individual National Champions in the last two years. He has also helped guide his team towards the 2020 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championship. “To be a champion, you have to train like you’re second best,” says Coach Dias. “You have to be willing to work harder than your opponents and have the mentality that they are always out there somewhere, outworking you.” With his unparalleled passion for track and field and coaching, this twenty-seven-year-old coach has been a trailblazer in his young coaching career. He has won three National Assistant Coach of the Year awards and won six Regional Assistant Coach of the Year awards.

But more than a coach for track and field, Dias also cultivates his relationships with the athletes he coaches. He celebrates with them not only the wins but also the many challenges and some losses that may come their way. He is a reliable support system for the students he is mentoring. 

To know more about Malcolm Dias and his program, please visit his Instagram.