Mississippi Valley State University Athletics

Derek Welch was one of the first hires by Head Coach Vincent Dancy, when he began assembling his 1st coaching staff at Mississippi Valley State University.

Welch, a Taylorsville, MS native, spent his first three years at Southern Arkansas, Kemper County High School (DeKalb, MS), and Northwestern State (LA), before spending his final four years in the Mississippi Junior College ranks at East Central Community College (MS), and Southwest Mississippi Community College (MS). He serves as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. 
 
A two-year member of the Jones County Junior College football team (2007-08), Welch helped lead the team to the state championship his freshman year, leading the team with seven interceptions.  He was named First Team All-State while playing both wide receiver and defensive back.
 
Following his Junior College career, Welch spent two seasons (2009-10) playing at the University of Tennessee-Martin helped lead the Skyhawks to a 16-9 record. As a senior, he and his defensive teammates led the Ohio Valley Conference in total defense, passing defense, passing efficiency defense and first/third down defense while being ranked fifth in nationally in total defense.
 
Welch graduated from UT-Martin in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Performance: Sports Management.
 
He began his coaching career as a student assistant strength and conditioning coach at UT-Martin (2011-12) and followed that with a stint as an offensive assistant at the University of Southern Arkansas (2012-13), coaching wide receivers for an offense that ranked second in the Great American Conference in total offense and fifth nationally with 497.6 yards per game.
 
Welch then spent 2013-14 as defensive coordinator at Kemper County High School before spending 2014-15 as Assistant Defensive Backs Coach at Northwestern State University before heading to East Central Community College. During his tenure at ECCC the Warriors reached the playoffs twice and Won the Heart of Texas Bowl vs Kilgore Community College in 2015.
 
Welch prepped at Taylorsville High School in MS, where he was a four-year letter player in football, basketball and track. Welch still holds the touchdown record at Taylorsville (28) which he captured his senior season. Welch was also an all-state receiver his junior and senior season.  
 
Welch and his wife, Rachel, have a daughter, Rylee Marie.