Alonzo Banks was named the head coach of the Mississippi Valley State University Track and Field and Cross-Country program in January 2020.
Banks joins Mississippi Valley Athletics after almost six seasons with Southern Arkansas University where he served as the assistant coach for four seasons before being promoted to Associate Head Track and Field and Cross-Country coach in 2018.
During his tenure at Southern Arkansas University, Banks athletes has received 130 All-Conference and nine Great American Conference Athlete of the Week honorees. Many program records have been broken. The women’s 400m, 400 hurdles and long jump records have been broken twice since the program’s reboot in 2014.
The Lady Muleriders and Muleriders received back-to-back Runner-Up finishes in 2016 and 2017 at the Great American Conference meet. In 2018, the Muleriders won the Great American Conference title that had not been won since 1985. Banks has coached 14 individual and two relay teams to event titles during the GAC Championships since 2016. Each season, his athletes have received NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks along with athletes being selected to the USTFCCCA All-Central Regionals team. While under Banks’ direction, Kenisha Bryant (one of the most decorated athletes in the women’s program history) captured the GAC 400m and 400m Hurdle titles. She qualified to compete at two DII National Championships and has received USTFCCCA All-America honors in the 400m Hurdles and selected as a member of the USTFCCCA All-Central Region team. Karonce Higgins, a three-time GAC Individual Champion in the Long Jump, and the 200m and the 2018 GAC Men’s High Point Award Winner. In the 2019 season, Karonce ran a career best 200m (20.83) and competed in the DII National Championships. Aurthur Jeffery was another standout athlete under Banks guidance, a 3 time GAC Triple Jump Champion, Conference record holder and school record holder (15.24m). Also, under Banks, the 4x400m relay teams excelled, the women team (Roy, Lentz, Yocom, Bryant) own the school record (3:48.12). The men team (Atkins, Banks, Higgins, Ross) 2 time Conference Champions and set the GAC record (3:12.69) and met the DII qualifying mark, finished 15th in the nation.
Prior to SAU, Banks spent the 2013-2014 season at his alma mater as a volunteer accountable coach under the direction of head coach Brian O’Neal. Banks helped mentor the 400m, sprint, hurdle and the middle distance runners such as Holland Sherrer who ran a personal best of 1:48.95 in the 800 meters at the Outdoor NCAA East Preliminary and Dameon Morgan who ran a personal best of 1:48.90 in the 800 meters at the Outdoor NCAA East Preliminary. Banks also assisted in the recruitment of Shannon Ray and Nicole Henderson who were ranked in the top five for the state of Louisiana. The duo went on to receive All-America honors during their collegiate careers at Ole Miss.
During his decorated collegiate career at Ole Miss, under the leadership of Coach Joe Walker, Banks was a three time All-American and the 1999 SEC 400-meter Champion. Although his primary event was the 400m, he also competed in the 800 meters and 4x400 meter relay. His other honors include All-SEC First Team performer five times, team captain and MVP in 1999, and competed (indoor 1996 and outdoor 1999) in the 400 meters at the USA Track & Field Championships. He was a member of the 4x400 meter relay team that won the Penn Relays Men’s Collegiate Division in 1995 and the Men’s Championship of America in 1999.
Banks earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Ole Miss in 1999. He received USATF Level 1 certification and Specialist certification in the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) in Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays. He is married to Kogrecha Banks. The couple has four children: three sons, Tyrenzo, Ta’Zion, and Taahir, and one daughter, Ti’Alone’.
