Delethea Quarles, better known by her nickname “Coach Dee,” has had an incredible coaching career spanning more than thirty years.
But come July, when Quarles assumes leadership of women’s Team USA in the much-awaited 2024 Paris Olympics, her remarkable career will reach its pinnacle.
She has won numerous awards, including leading the women’s team USA in the 2015 IAAF World Championships and coaching fifty All-Americans.
Coach Dee’s greatest accomplishment to date is this sought-after chance, which highlights her extraordinary skill and unrelenting commitment to the game.
At Liberty University, where she started her remarkable career in 1987 as a student-athlete and went on to win three All-American titles, Quarles skillfully combined her two passions.
She became the only athlete in program history to score more than 200 points in a single season, a testament to her incredible accomplishments. Her position as a trailblazer in collegiate athletics was cemented in 2010 when she unseated the program’s record in the 100-meter hurdles.
Coach DEE
Quarles had an incredible coaching career before coming to JMU. She started at her old university and worked for 25 years in South Carolina, where she rose from assistant coach to assistant head coach in 2005. Her greatest accomplishment during her time at South Carolina was leading the team to an NCAA Outdoor Championship, which was the school’s first-ever NCAA championship in any sport.
Quarles has equally impressive international coaching experience, having worked as head coach for the 2007 Pan-American Junior Championship in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and as an assistant coach at the 2005 Pan-American Games. Her history demonstrates not only her skill as a coach but also her capacity to succeed internationally, paving the way for an exciting new era at JMU.
“Being wanted is important to me since I had folks here who were interested in me when this opportunity to investigate it came up. I truly appreciate the integrity upheld here.” Quarles quoted in breezejmu.
Cover Photo: IG