STEPHENVILLLE, Texas — Tarleton State Track and Field new head coach Bobby Carter has announced the addition of David Claybrooks to his staff ahead of the 2024-25 season.
 
Claybrooks joins the Texan staff and will lead the vertical jumps and multi-event athletes on his sixth stop of his coaching career. Tarleton will mark his third Division I coaching opportunity preceded by Eastern Kentucky (2008-11) and UTRGV (2016-17). Most recently, he served as an assistant coach at Keiser University in Florida from 2018-24. He also was assistant coach at Iowa Western and Lindsey Wilson College.
 
"We are very excited about David Claybrooks," said Carter. "I have watched the great work he has done over the years and there's no doubt in my mind that he will get the job done at Tarleton. He is not only a great coach but a great person. We are looking forward to winning many championships together!"
 
For the last six seasons, Claybrooks served as an assistant coach at Keiser University, an NAIA program in Florida. In 2023, he was named the South Region Assistant Coach of the Year by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for the indoor season. He helped coached his pole vaulters to the top two spots in the nation and two of heptathletes occupied a spot in the top five nationally. At the Sun Conference Indoor Championships, his pole vaulters secured five of the top six finishes.
 
He also was named the USTFCCCA Men's Assistant Coach of the Year for the outdoor season as well. During his time with the Seahawks, Claybrooks has had 60 All-Sun Conference honorees, 24 conference champions, 22 academic all-conference honorees and 12 conference athletes of the week. Nationally, Claybrooks helped 40 athletes qualify for NAIA Outdoor National Championships and 31 for Indoor national championships. Three of his athletes were crowned NAIA National champions with two coming in the heptathlon and one in pole vault. Academically, 10 of his student-athletes earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors and six were named Daktronics NAIA Scholar Athletes.
 
Claybrooks spent a season at UTRGV as an assistant coach prior to his time in West Palm Beach, Fla. With the Vaqueros he helped coach nine All-Conference athletes. He also helped three individuals secure a top five marks in program history.
 
He spent three seasons as an assistant at Lindsey Wilson College from 2013-16. During his time with the Blue Raiders he oversaw the distance runners, hurdlers, high jumpers and pole vaulters. He helped three cross country athletes qualify for nationals and one earn All-American status. On the track, he helped nine athletes earn All-American honors while 23 qualified for the national meet. Throughout his three season, he helped 12 individuals garner all-conference honors including athlete and freshman of the year. On the team side he helped guide the women to an outdoor conference championship in his final season, and back-to-back men's outdoor championship in his final two years with the Blue Raiders.
 
"I am very honored and grateful to be included as a member of the Tarleton State University Track and Field family," said Claybrooks. "I am looking forward to all the amazing accomplishments we will achieve together. Many thanks to coach Carter for this opportunity to help this institution triumph. I'd also like to thank Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve Uryasz and the athletic administrators for allowing me to come to Stephenville."
 
Prior to the Blue Raiders, he spent three seasons at Eastern Kentucky University. While with the Colonels he helped win three cross country conference championships and an indoor men's conference championship. Claybrooks started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Iowa Western Community College. He helped five student-athletes earn All-American honors, and saw seven program records broken.
 
Claybrooks earned a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education from Murray State University in 2005 and a master's degree in physical education with a sports administration concentration from EKU in 2008. He is a USATF Level I Certified Track and Field and Cross Country Coach and a USATF Official and Master's Athlete.