Elaine Derricott, former University of Richmond assistant track and field coach and Richmond native, resigned last month and then accepted a similar role at Monmouth University.
The new position is an opportunity for Derricott to “grow professionally,” she said in a phone interview. At Monmouth, Derricott would narrow her focus to coaching sprints and hurdles. She would also coach both the men’s and women’s teams, whereas at UR she exclusively coached the women’s roster.
Derricott graduated from Henrico High School in 2009, where she was all-state in basketball, track and field and volleyball. She went on to compete at Radford University and Marshall University. She had previously held the heptathlon and pentathlon school records at Marshall.
Lori Taylor, UR director of track and head women's cross country and track and field coach, issued the following statement via email:
“It was with mixed emotions announcing to the women’s track and field and men’s and women’s cross country teams of assistant Coach Elaine Derricott’s decision to depart Richmond to accept a similar position at Monmouth University. I hired Coach Derricott in August of 2017 after her brief stint as a volunteer coach at Virginia Union to begin recruiting sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers in an effort to help build the track and field part of our programs and put ourselves in a position to win indoor and outdoor Atlantic 10 championships along with three of the last four contested A-10 women’s cross country championships. I am grateful for the hard work Coach Derricott did for our program and athletics department and thank her for her service to the university. Although we had hoped Coach Derricott would continue her work at Richmond as we set out to reach the goal of winning an A-10 Track and Field championship this year, we wish her the best of success in the next step of her career. We are excited about the future for all our programs and proud of all the hard working, talented, and committed student-athletes on the track and field and cross country teams. There is no limit to the success these women and men can achieve with true belief in and commitment to each other and the program.”
No other UR employee or student has made a public statement regarding Derricott’s resignation.
“Our student-athletes would not like to comment on this,” said Dan Wacker, UR assistant director of athletic public relations, via email.
“It’s always a surprise [to the student-athletes],” Derricott said regarding coaches taking new positions. “It happens.”
UR has not hired a new coach to replace Derricott as of Oct. 4.
Contact sports writer Noah Jacobs at noah.jacobs@richmond.edu
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