UPIKE Athletics

In his fourth season as an assistant coach at UPIKE, 2017 was another breakout year for the UPIKE running backs under running back coach Derrick Lucas. For the third straight season Coach Lucas’s has placed a running back on the All Mid-South Conference first team. In 2017 Xondre Willis and Willie McCloud became the first UPIKE running back duo in school history to be place on the All Mid-South Conference Team in the same year. Willis and McCloud join Quan Weaver and Jamar Kirksey who also were all conference backs under Lucas. Xondre Willis led the UPIKE rushing attack with 1,045 yards and averaged 6.5 yards per carry; earning the honor to be placed on the All Mid-South Conference First Team. Willie McCloud wasn’t too far behind; earning a spot on the All Mid-South Conference Second Team. 

Last March, Lucas was promoted to Recruiting Coordinator for the Bears. Lucas is a native of Huntsville, Ala., where he attended Lee High School. He was a two-time all-city player who helped Lee to three city, county and state championships. After playing collegiately at Middle Tennessee State, Lucas finished his Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Faulkner University. Lucas comes to UPIKE from Lyon College, where he also coached the running backs, and Bethel College in North Newton, Kan., in the same role. While at Bethel, he coached the top punt returner in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. He also coached 1,000-yard, all-purpose running back Robert Smith. 

Lucas has 11 years of coaching experience, including helping get two new programs off the ground in Lyon and Point University. He has coached at the prestigious Atlanta Sports Academy, a post-graduate program where he worked with former NCAA Division I quarterbacks Patrick Thomas of Louisville, Josh Hand of Mississippi State, and Shelton Willis of Bethune-Cookman. Lucas has two daughters, Alexia and Alisia.