Bio

Coach Derkacz will enter his eighth season as the head coach of the men’s & women’s cross country teams in the fall of 2024. Tasked with reviving a once proud program that had fallen dormant for four decades, Derkacz led the Colts harriers to the NJCAA Championships in their renaissance 2016 season, fielding four women and one male competitor at nationals, hosted by Finger Lakes CC.

In the seven seasons to follow, SUNY Orange has appeared at NJCAAs annually, highlighted by a program-best 17th place for the 2017 men’s team and a total of three All-Americans, the women’s program has also fielded at least one competitor at each NJCAA meet, with consecutive top-30 performances.

Before being named head coach at SUNY Orange, Derkacz coached for a decade at the youth and scholastic levels, producing multiple USATF national qualifiers, Section IX champions, NYSPHSAA qualifiers and NCAA recruits. In the winter and spring seasons, he continues to lead the indoor and outdoor track & field programs at Minisink Valley High School, as well as mentoring youth athletes  and directing the youth summer camp in cross country and track & field at Minisink Valley.

After running on a reborn scholastic cross country program in the fall of 1999, Derkacz qualified for the state championships in outdoor track & field at Port Jervis High School, graduating in the millennial class of 2000. He went on to earn 12 varsity letters in cross country and track & field at Dickinson College.

Derkacz was an all-conference and all-region competitor in all four of his collegiate cross country seasons. He qualified for the NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships in 2001 and was named an academic All-American in 2000, 2001 and 2003. He was a multi-season medalist in the conference championships in track & field, as well as collecting school records in the steeplechase, distance events and relays, capping his senior season in 2004 as the first Dickinson athlete to break 4:00 for 1500 meters.

Coach Derkacz earned a bachelor’s degree in English, philosophy and classical studies from Dickinson College, holds a master’s degree in adolescent education from Mount Saint Mary College and has taught secondary English for the state of New York Office of Children & Family Services since 2009. He resides in his beloved Minisink Valley with wife Marisa, and their two daughters.