Deem Adds Two to @CanesTrack Coaching Staff
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Miami director of track and field/cross country Amy Deem announced the addition of Diego Flaquer and Keith Herston to the Hurricanes coaching staff.
Flaquer will coach men’s sprints, hurdles and relays, while Herston will coach jumps and combined events for the Hurricanes. The two join Deem, associate head coach Cory Young and assistant coaches Damon Griffiths and Shannon Hatchett on the Hurricanes’ coaching staff.
“We are excited about the additions of Diego and Keith to our staff,” Deem said. “It is great to welcome their families to our Hurricanes track family. They are two gifted and dedicated coaches that have proven themselves as difference makers in track and field. Diego and Keith will be assets to our program in student-athlete development and recruiting as we continue to strive for excellence in the ACC and on a national stage.”
Flaquer comes to Miami after spending three years at Oklahoma State, helping elevate the Cowboys to a national level sprint program. Oklahoma State’s men won the Big XII indoor conference championship title twice in Flaquer’s tenure and never finished lower than third from 2014-2016. The Cowboys also scored at the NCAA Indoor Championships in each of Flaquer’s three seasons, finishing as high as sixth in 2014, and earned a pair of top-20 finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the same three-year span.
“I would like to thank head coach Amy Deem for bringing me and my wife, Stacy, to Coral Gables,” Flaquer said. “We are ecstatic to join the U family. Everything we have seen at Miami has been absolutely first-class, from the beautiful campus and athletic facilities to the top-notch character and professionalism of the coaching staff assembled by Coach Deem.”
At Oklahoma State, Flaquer coached John Teeters and Tyreek Hill in the men’s sprints, developing the duo into All-Americans. Teeters was the 2015 NCAA runner-up in the men’s 60m, while Hill was a 2014 NCAA finalist in the indoor 200m. Teeters went on to set the Oklahoma State school record in the 60m and 100m, earning three First Team All-America honors in his career. Hill was the 2015 Big XII men’s 200m indoor champion before placing fifth in the event at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
“I would also like to thank coach Dave Smith at Oklahoma State University for the opportunity to be part of the OSU family,” Flaquer said. “We spent an amazing three years together and rewrote OSU history with conference titles and top nationals finishes. I wish the OSU Cowboys and Cowgirls the best.”
Prior to his time at Oklahoma State, Flaquer spent three years as an assistant coach and one as a graduate assistant at Auburn, primarily responsible for the horizontal jumpers. He also assisted Auburn head coach Ralph Spry with Auburn’s nationally recognized sprint group. He also has coached at Samford University and Troy University, as well as at his alma mater, Virginia Intermont College.
Flaquer was a member of Team USA’s coaching staff for the 2015 World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia and the 2014 Pan American Sports Festival in Mexico City. He had the privilege to be part of the coaching staff for his native country of Colombia for the 2011 Pan American Juniors and the 2014 World Juniors.
In Flaquer’s coaching career, he has coached three NCAA runner-ups, two in the 60m and one in the 100m. Flaquer has coached three athletes under 6.60 seconds in the 60m, five under 10.1 seconds in the 100m and five under 20.50 in the 200m.
“I’ve had the privilege to recruit and coach at universities in the SEC and Big XII conferences, but the University of Miami’s passion and commitment to win made this a very special situation for me,” Flaquer said. “The U is a place where I see an opportunity to build on the sprints and hurdles success and truly take the men’s program to new ACC and national levels. Additionally, my wife & I are personally excited to return to the state of Florida and be closer to family.“
Flaquer is the son of Pedro Grajales, a two-time Olympian in the 400 meters and a previous coach for the Colombian national team. The national stadium in his hometown of Cali is named in his honor. Flaquer, a native of Samson, Ala., graduated from Virginia Intermont College in 2007 with a degree in health and physical education.
Herston joins the Hurricanes family after spending the previous five years as the jumps and combined events coach at Texas State University. The Bobcats’ jumps and combined events groups saw nationally renowned success under Herston’s leadership.
In his time at Texas State, Herston coached jumper Allie Saunders to a pair of First Team All-America honors and saw pole vaulters Logan Cunningham and Anicka Newell qualify for the 2016 Olympics. In total, Herston coached nine All-Americans, 24 conference champions and helped Texas State capture five conference team titles. Herston’s student-athletes earned 58 all-conference honors in his tenure at Texas State and set 12 school records.
“I am thrilled about my new home at The U,” Herston said. “The competitive history of Miami track and field, the great leadership of Coach Deem, along with the resources available to prepare the student-athletes to be successful at the highest levels athletically and academically, made this the ideal place for me.”
Prior to his time at Texas State, Herston was an assistant coach at Sam Houston State. At Sam Houston State, Herston helped guide Matthew Johnson to 2011 NCAA All-American honors in the decathlon and to top-10 finishes at the 2011 USA Track and Field Outdoor National Championships and the 2011 Pan-American Games. Also at SHSU, Herston coached four Southland Conference champions, 13 All-Southland Conference athletes, four team MVP award winners, five school record holders and six NCAA preliminary round qualifiers.
“I want to thank Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Amy Deem for this opportunity and her commitment to me,” Herston said. “I am blessed and honored to be on this great staff. I am excited to get started working hard for Coach Deem and this university to continue its winning excellence in the ACC and nationally.”
Before his stint with the Bearkats, Herston was a volunteer assistant/intern coach at Auburn while completing his Master’s of Education in kinesiology in 2009. In pursuit of that degree, Herston had the opportunity to work for some the greatest exercise scientists in the country. As a coach at Auburn, he guided the men’s and women’s javelin throwers and worked with combined events. During his time at Auburn, the Tigers sent 16 athletes to the NCAA Regional Championships with 14 advancing to the NCAA Championships. With the help of Herston, the men’s team placed second at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Herston began his coaching career as an undergraduate at Bevill State Community College (Hamilton, Ala.) in Dec. 2004 as the women’s track and field assistant coach. Bevill State placed in the top 15 at the 2005 NJCAA Outdoor Championships with 11 national qualifiers. The women’s team broke 14 indoor and outdoor school records under Herston’s tutelage.
As a collegiate athlete, Herston competed in the horizontal jumps at the University of Alabama, where he was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and earned a bachelor’s degree in human environmental sciences at Alabama in 2007.
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