BATON ROUGE — LSU track and field completed a staff restructure Monday, promoting current assistant Mark Elliott to assistant head coach, while hiring Marvin Gibson and Debbie Parris-Thymes as assistant coaches and Tamara Ards as the team’s coordinator, head coach Dennis Shaver announced.
“With the departure of Dana Boone to take over the sprints at Oklahoma I evaluated our needs in the program,” said Shaver. “The changes being made will only serve for the betterment of the program and everyone involved.”
Elliott, who begins his 13th season at LSU, will continue his responsibilities with the distance corps and cross country teams. In 12 seasons with the Tigers, Elliott has been responsible for three NCAA champions, three SEC champions and multiple Olympic competitors.
“Elevating Mark to assistant head coach is certainly something he has earned,” said Shaver. “Mark has worked tirelessly to help implement new ideas and has been involved with LSU throughout his entire career, both as an athlete and a coach, and I feel it is an opportunity he is very deserving of.”
Parris-Thymes, a former Lady Tiger sprint and hurdle standout in the early 90’s, returns to LSU in a coaching capacity after concluding a stellar 11-year professional career at the 2005 World Championships in August. A two-time NCAA champion and eight-time All-American while competing for LSU, Parris-Thymes brings a wealth of competitive experience to the position as she has competed in two Olympic Games, six World Championships, two Commonwealth Games and two Goodwill Games as a professional.
Parris-Thymes will assist Shaver with the women’s sprint and hurdles group. She replaces Dana Boone, who left for a chance to develop and implement her training at Oklahoma.
“Debbie is a former NCAA champion who until recently pursued a very successful professional career upon her graduation from LSU,” said Shaver. “During that time she continued to train here at LSU and I don’t feel there is a better person to hire than someone who had been around the program and is familiar with our system.”
Gibson, another former Tiger track athlete, has been hired to assist with the men’s sprints and hurdles group. A two-year letter winner for the Tigers, Gibson served as a volunteer assistant last season.
“When I first got hired, Marvin contacted me about volunteering with our program,” said Shaver. “I was excited to find out Marvin wanted to be a part of the program and he has proven to be an essential member of the staff, assisting me with the men’s sprint and hurdles group. I look forward to his continued involvement with the program.”
Ards comes to LSU from Colorado, where she spent the previous three seasons as the men’s and women’s sprints and hurdles coach. A former All-American sprinter at Colorado, Ards was responsible for the Buffalos’ recruiting, academics, compliance and CHAMPS involvement in addition to her coaching responsibilities. At LSU she will handle many team administrative duties, including team travel, office management, the Track Officials Association and home meet management details.
“Tamara is a former Division I student-athlete that has also worked as a coach,” said Shaver. “There is no one better to understand the weekly schedule and travel needs of a team this size than someone who has been through it themselves.”