Dec. 10, 2007

UTPA head men's and women's track and field and cross country coach Dennis Darling announced that former 2007 NCAA Track and Field All-American Funmi Jimoh has joined the Bronc and Lady Bronc programs as an assistant coach.

"I'm really excited and I think I can implement a lot of new things that can take us to the next level," said Jimoh. "I'm excited to work with Coach Darling and I just want to see how far I can push the squads. I'm excited to start a new phase of my life as far as coaching and being a leader for both the men and women's teams."

"I was the one that went looking for Funmi," said Darling. "I feel like now we have a strong coaching staff with her on board. She knows what she's doing and she is still training for the events that she's coaching."

A graduate from Rice University, Jimoh comes to the Rio Grande Valley after spending the year as an Event and Community Coordinator at the Rice Recreation Center in Houston, TX. The newly-named assistant coach was responsible for existing relations within the community, market ongoing events to the universities, school and other non-profit organizations.

A standout for the Owls, Jimoh was a 2007 NCAA Track and Field All-American, a 2007 NCAA Midwest Regional Champion in the long jump, and a 2006 NCAA Indoor provisional qualifier in the pentathlon.

Jimoh was also a WAC conference champion in track and field, garnered freshman of the year honors in the Western Athletic Conference in 2003, and collected High Point Performer Western Athletic Conference in 2004. Jimoh currently holds the record at Rice University in the Pentathlon and the 100m hurdles.

The newly-named assistant coach also works with young athletes, ages 6-18 as a sports performance coach. Her training duties, includes teaching speed, power, agility, flexibility and motivating athletes towards success.

Jimoh graduated from Rice University with a double major in English and women and gender studies in May 2007.

UTPA Sports Information