Billings welcomed as assistant coach for Nicholls Track and Field, Cross Country teams

Tuesday afternoon, Nicholls State University head track & field/cross country coach Stefanie Slekis announced Austin Billings as the new assistant coach for the program pending approval from the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors.

“Austin is a fantastic addition to our Track & Field and Cross Country staff,” Slekis said in an interview with the Colonels. “I have followed Austin’s collegiate coaching career closely since his time at Samford University competing as a decathlete. Austin has not only coached great sprints/jumps/hurdles/multis student-athletes, but he also understands as an athlete how it feels to develop and compete in these events.

“I am excited for Austin to get to work bringing our sprints/hurdles/jumps/multis/relays event group to an even higher level after a very successful past two-and-a-half years, especially with us returning several young women who have set Nicholls School Records, stood on the Southland Conference podium and secured Nicholls All-Time Top 10 marks. I know he values developing the young men and women we recruit and coach both athletically as well as academically and empowering them to develop as good citizens through servant leadership, a foundation of our program.”

Billings served as an assistant track & field coach at the University of Montevallo for four years from 2018-21. Notably, Billings earned recognition as the USTFCCCA NCAA DII South Region Assistant Coach of the Year (2021) as he personally worked with Montevallo standout Da’Shaun Morgan, who stands as a two-time NCAA DII South Region Athlete of the Year and three-time Gulf South Conference Athlete of the Year and All-American selection.

Previously, Billings also worked as an assistant at Samford University, his alma mater, during the fall of 2018.

Billings received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Samford University in May 2017 and currently resides in Thibodaux, La.