Houston Christian University Athletics

A former HBU sprinter, DJ Hicks is entering his 10th season with the Huskies, where he works primarily with the sprints, hurdles and relay groups.

Hicks has coached multiple Southland Conference medalists, school record holders and NCAA West Preliminary qualifiers during his tenure. Among his most accomplished athletes is Garrett Gibson, who earned Southland Conference medals across the 60-meter hurdles, 110-meter hurdles, and 400-meter hurdles, including conference titles in the indoor 60-meter hurdles and outdoor 110-meter hurdles in 2023. Gibson qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round four times and was recognized as a USTFCCCA Academic All-American.

In recent seasons, Hicks has continued to elevate the program's success in the hurdles. Denzel Hinds earned bronze medals in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2024 and 2025 Southland Conference Outdoor Championships. In 2025, Hinds broke the school record in the event with a time of 50.72 and qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round.

Ashton Muñoz-Nieves added to the program's conference success, earning a bronze medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2025 Southland Conference Outdoor Championships and a bronze medal in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2026 Southland Conference Indoor Championships.

During the 2026 season, SJ Marais captured the Southland Conference title in the 110-meter hurdles, breaking the school record with a time of 13.78 and qualifying for the NCAA West Preliminary Round. Freshman Rayhan Mourtada also qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round in the 400-meter hurdles. Hicks additionally guided the men's 4x100-meter relay to a school-record performance of 40.53.

Prior to returning to Houston Christian, Hicks spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons at Valparaiso University, where he coached the men's 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams to school records while also serving as the program's strength coach for his event groups.

A native of Missouri City, Texas, Hicks coached with the Afterburners Track Club during the summer of 2014 and was selected to attend the Emerging Elite Coaches Camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, in 2016. He is a certified Sprints, Hurdles and Relays Specialist, a USTFCCCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a USATF Level I Certified Coach and holds a USTFCCCA Technical Certification. Hicks has worked with renowned biomechanist Mike Young and participated in the NCAA Career in Sports Forum.

Hicks and his wife, Tra, reside in the Houston area and attend Houston's First Baptist Church Downtown Campus.