Dereck Chavis will direct the Hope College men's and women's track and field program beginning with the 2000 season, according to Dr. George Kraft, chairman of the department of kinesiology.

Dereck Chavis will direct the Hope College men's and women's track and field program beginning with the 2000 season, according to Dr. George Kraft, chairman of the department of kinesiology.

He succeeds coaches Mark Northuis (men) and Donna Eaton (women). Northuis will continue as men's and women's cross country coach and will coach the distance runners during the track season. Eaton is also the women's golf coach.

Chavis comes to Hope from Indiana State University where he was a graduate assistant track and field coach since 1997. He also recently completed the USA Track and Field Level I coaching certification.

He received the Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from Indiana State in 1994 and is currently a candidate there for the Master of Science degree in recreation and sports management.

In the summer of 1998 he directed a summer camp for sprinters at Indiana State. From 1996-97 he was a mentor leader in the AmeriCorps 21st Century Scholars program at the Martin Luther King Community Center in Indianapolis.

As an undergraduate he lettered four years in track and field. He was team captain as a junior and senior and was a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference sprinter.

A native of Elkhart, Ind., he and his wife Traci have two children, Thorne and Danielle.