Entering his tenth season at Shorter University, head coach Scott Byrd has developed the Hawk and Lady Hawk track and field programs into national powers, a journey affirmed when Shorter's men's program captured the 2011 NAIA Indoor and Outdoor national championships. As Shorter enters NCAA territory, he brings to the table a program that has proven itself a potential immediate national contender.
During Byrd's tenure, Shorter has won 18 individual national championships and in 2011, saw nine athletes win individual national championships resulting the men's double and the women posting program-best finishes of fifth and third at the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor national championships, respectively. For his efforts in a historic 2011 season, Byrd was named both the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Coach of the Year.
The next year, the men garnered runner up honors at the NAIA Indoor national championships, but sucessfully defended their Outdoor national crown, behind the efforts of 2 individual national champions, and 1 relay championship. For his efforst, Byrd was awarded by his peers with the NAIA Outdoor National Coach of the Year.
In 2013, Shorter's track and field programs competed for the first time in the NCCAA and didn't disappoint; with the women's team taking the national title at the indoor meet and the runner-up honors at the outdoor meet. Beginning in 2014, Shorter will serve as host for the NCCAA National Outdoor Track and Field Meet.
Byrd coaches the 400 meters, 4x400 relay teams, 100/110 meter hurdles and the 400 intermediate hurdles.
Byrd quickly planted the seed for success upon his arrival to the Hill in 2006. Despite being a young program, Shorter track and field has accomplished great things in its first few years:
-Â Five straight Mid-South Men's Outdoor championships (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
-Â Four straight Mid-South Women's Outdoor championships (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
- 90 individual national champions
- Over 75 All-Conference athletes
- Over 60 NAIA All-Americans
- Over 80 national qualifiers
- Over 10 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes
- One NAIA national record (Justyna Mudy, 2009)
Byrd came to Shorter in 2006 from Velocity Sports, where he was an assistant head coach for Team Velocity. He is a USAW Club Coach and USAW Sports Performance certified.
In 1980, he was the national collegiate power lifting champion and coached OTC from 1994-1996. He served as an IDEA Certified Trainer from 1987-2000 and is a professional member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Byrd coached 12 school-age national champion athletes including three gold medalists, four silver medalists and one bronze medalist. He guided a three-member competition team that won third place nationally and also coached three junior national athletes, including one silver medalist.
Byrd graduated from Fayette County High School in 1979 after lettering all four years in varsity football and varsity track. He earned his collegiate degree from Jacksonville State University in 1985.
