danielle gray hire

Women's Cross Country

Gray Hired to VMI XC/Track and Field Coaching Staff

LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Zack Scott announced Friday the hiring of Danielle Gray as head coach of the VMI men's and women's cross country teams and as an assistant track and field coach effective Wednesday, November 10.
 
Gray comes to VMI by way of American University where she served as an assistant track and cross country coach and recruiting coordinator from 2017-2019. In this role, she implemented and planned the daily practice activities of the cross country and distance runners and coordinated all on and off campus recruiting efforts for the women's team. Gray coordinated all travel arrangements, ensured compliance with NCAA regulations and served as a liaison with the admissions and financial aid departments.
 
She coached 36 Top 10 school record performers, 14 All-Patriot League performers, three NCAA first round qualifiers and two All Mid-Atlantic Region cross country performers. Three athletes earned Academic All-Patriot League honors and the team had the highest GPA at American, which led to five USATFCCCA All-Academic Teams.  
 
"We are excited to have Mrs. Gray as a member of our staff," Scott said. "She will raise our training to another level with her background in strength and conditioning and experience as a cross country and distance coach. We are looking forward to working with her to develop our teams for indoor and outdoor competition."  
 
Since 2019, Gray worked as a fitness coordinator for American where she oversaw the student and part-time personal training staff and was responsible for increasing revenue and profit margin within the personal training program. She developed and implemented exercise programs for the university, oversaw club team training and supervised multiple facilities to coordinate usage scheduling.
 
From 2013-2018, she served as a personal trainer at Gold's Gym where she developed individual exercise programs based on age and fitness levels and assessed their needs and capabilities through fitness assessment procedures. Gray also helped clients develop realistic, attainable goals and continually modified training objectives.
 
During the summers of 2016 and 2017, Gray served as a cross country summer camp coach at the United States Naval Academy where she helped oversee the campers and camp counselors. From 2014-17, she also served as a track meet official for the Naval Academy as well as a volunteer track coach.
 
Prior to her arrival in the Washington D.C. and greater Mid-Atlantic region, Gray served as an assistant cross country and track and field coach at Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, from January 2021-August 2013. While at Bloomsburg, she coached one NCAA cross country qualifier, one NCAA indoor track qualifier and four NCAA Outdoor track qualifiers, two of which earned All-American status. She coached five PSAC champions and six NCAA provisional qualifiers.
 
Gray served as the head cross country coach and assistant track coach at the University of Southern Mississippi from 2008-09, where she implemented the training regimen for the distance runners and oversaw the year-round strength and conditioning program for the team. She was also responsible for all recruiting efforts and travel arrangements. At Southern Miss she worked with Vincent Tanui, the school's all-time record holder in the 10,000m and was an individual point scorer at indoor and outdoor Conference USA championship events.
 
From 2007-08, she served as an assistant cross country and track and field coach at UAB where she assisted with all aspects of team management including practice, travel, budgeting and inventory. At UAB, she coached two outdoor regional qualifiers, an indoor NCAA All-American, three NCAA indoor provisional qualifiers and fourth place finish at the Conference USA cross country championship.
 
After her graduation from Auburn University in 2005, she went to work as a graduate assistant cross country and track and field coach at Georgia Southern University where was involved in all aspects of team management. Gray helped coach GSU to a 2007 outdoor track first place finish at the Southern Conference Championships and trained four school record holders. She coached eight regional qualifiers in sprints and jumps and helped the team to 34 All-Conference selections.
 
She reached USATF Coaching Level One certification in 2005 and later became a Track and Field Academy endurance specialist in 2013. Gray became an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist in 2014.
 
Gray earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education with a minor in sports coaching from Auburn University in May 2005. She would later add a Master of Science degree in kinesiology from Georgia Southern in December 2010.








 
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