OU T&F Announces Hill as Sprints/Hurdles Coach

NORMAN — University of Oklahoma head track & field coach James Thomas announced the hiring of Deanna Hill as an assistant coach for sprints and hurdles on Monday.

"I couldn't be more excited to have the opportunity to work alongside Coach Deanna Hill again," said Thomas. "Throughout my career, I've worked with some of the very best coaches and leaders in our sport, and I'm confident Coach Hill is only beginning to tap into her extraordinary gifts. We're adding far more than an elite sprint/hurdle coach—we're adding a proven leader, an exceptional recruiter, and the kind of championship energy that elevates an entire program. She is a perfect fit for where OU Track and Field/Cross Country is headed, and I can't wait to see what we will accomplish together."

Hill joins the Sooners after spending the past season at Tennessee, where she guided the women's 4x100-meter relay to a fifth-place finish and a school-record time at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor National Championships. Under her direction, the 4x400-meter relay squad placed third nationally, while two individual athletes earned top-five finishes at the 2026 championships.

Prior to that, she spent three seasons (2022-2025) at the University of Georgia, where she helped guide the Bulldogs to women's team titles at both the 2025 SEC and NCAA Outdoor Championships. During her tenure at UGA, Hill was part of a coaching staff that produced 12 NCAA top-10 team finishes.

While in Athens, Hill helped coach three NCAA champions, including 2024 Bowerman finalist Christopher Morales Williams, who swept the NCAA 400-meter titles that season and set an all-time world best of 44.49 at the 2024 SEC Indoor Championships. She also helped develop 2024 Paris Olympian Aaliyah Butler, who earned gold with Team USA in the women's 4x400-meter relay and claimed the 2025 NCAA outdoor title in the women's 400-meter dash, clocking a time of 49.26 — the fifth-fastest in collegiate history.

In her first season at Georgia, Hill helped guide Matthew Boling to the 2022 NCAA indoor title in the men's 200-meter dash, where his time of 20.12 seconds ranks as the fifth-fastest in NCAA indoor history.

Hill's impact on athlete development at UGA is reflected in the program's results from 2022-25, which included 107 top-10 marks in school history and 14 current school records across the sprints, hurdles, and relays.

"I want to express my deepest gratitude to Coach Duane Ross and the University of Tennessee for an incredible chapter and for truly preparing me for this exact moment," said Hill. "To my mentors, thank you for your unwavering guidance through this process. Most of all, to my incredible support system: thank you for constantly pouring life into me, lifting me up, and believing in me even in moments when I may have doubted myself. Lastly, I want to extend a massive thank you to Coach James Thomas and the University of Oklahoma for believing in my vision, knowledge, experience, and passion for this sport. I cannot wait to lead the sprints and hurdles group to new heights. Boomer Sooner!"

A phenomenal athlete in her own right, Hill was a 16-time First Team All-American and team captain of the Southern California track & field program as a collegian – earning Team MVP honors three consecutive years and helping the Trojans clinch the 2018 NCAA outdoor team title with a memorable, triumphant victory in the women's 4x400-meter relay. Her 16 first team All-America certificates are the most in USC history.

The Orlando, Florida, native returned to her hometown after graduating from USC and took over as the head varsity coach at Lake Highland Preparatory School to start the 2019 season. While guiding Lake Highland, her school won its first boys' district championship in 21 years and its first regional championship in school history.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU T&F Announces Hill as Sprints/Hurdles Coach

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors