Oral Roberts University

Coach Hughes joined the Oral Roberts University (ORU) Track and Field coaching staff as an assistant coach in 2022. In his tenure, Hughes has quickly established himself as a pivotal figure in the program, coaching several athletes to all-time top five marks on the ORU record lists and guiding them to outstanding performances in both conference and national competitions.

2022-2023 Season Highlights:

During his inaugural season, Hughes made an immediate impact on ORU Track and Field:

• Abraham Sargent achieved a school record in the javelin throw with a distance of 66.77m, surpassing his previous record of 65.14m set in 2021. Sargent's performance earned him a 14th place finish at the NCAA West Preliminary Round and a 3rd place finish at the Summit League Conference Championship.
• Henry Falls became the 3rd fastest 400m hurdler in ORU history with a time of 53.26, securing a 3rd place finish at the Summit League Conference Championship.
• In the 100m, Kevin Jackson ran a blistering 10.30, making him the 2nd fastest 100m runner in ORU history.
• Mitchell Mefford, a senior, moved up to second on the ORU all-time list in the Hammer throw with a personal best of 52.04m, achieved at the Summit League Championships.

2023-2024 Season Highlights:

Building on the success of his first season, Hughes continued to push his athletes to new heights:

• Kevin Jackson became the Summit League Champion in the 60m dash with a time of 6.69 seconds, tying him for the 2nd fastest 60m in ORU history.
• Henry Falls improved his 400m hurdles time to 52.88 seconds at the outdoor championships, maintaining his position as the 3rd fastest in ORU history and securing another 3rd place finish.
• Joyce Nabagereka, a sophomore, emerged as a versatile thrower under Hughes' guidance, ranking third all-time at ORU in the Shot Put with a put of 12.43m, as well as in the Hammer and Discus events.

Prior to joining the staff at ORU, Hughes served as an assistant track & field coach at Tulsa since 2017. With the Golden Hurricanes, Hughes was tasked with coaching the men’s and women’s sprints, hurdles, jumps and multi-events. In his tenure at Tulsa, Hughes coached 18 all-conference performers, 12 NCAA West Regional Qualifiers, five event school records and three conference champions.
 
A native of Center, Missouri, Hughes earned his Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Fitness from the University of Missouri in 2014. In 2017, Hughes earned his Master of Sports Pedagogy from Baylor University, where he also worked as a volunteer assistant coach.