Bio

Deron Clark joined New Mexico Junior College in July 2016. During this 7-year period, the athletic program has earned 10 National Championships (men’s and women's track) along with 3 National Runners-Up, Runners-up (2019) and 8th (2022) place finish in the National Women's Basketball Tournament, CNFR National Champion in Saddle Bronc (Preston Burr - 2017), National Tournament finishes of 4th (2022 & 2023) and 5th (2019) for men's golf, 2019 NJCAA World Series appearance for baseball and four WJCAC Championships (women's basketball (2019) and baseball (2019 and 2022 & 2023). Women’s cross country earned National Runner-Up in 2023 along with a National Runner-Up in the Half Marathon.

NMJC has also hosted the NJCAA National Outdoor Track and Field Championships in May of 2019 and again in 2023 and will host the Men’s Division I Golf Championship in the spring of 2024. Along with the hosting opportunities, NMJC has added four sports to the athletic agenda including volleyball, men's cross country and men's track and field and women’s golf. These additions have all seen immediate success as the volleyball team earned a trip to the WJCAC Conference Tournament championship game in 2022 and 2023 along with a WJCAC conference championship in 2023.

The 2022-23 seasons also pushed NMJC to earn a fourth-place finish in the national competition of the Daktronics Cup Series which identifies the most successful athletic program in the nation including California and the NWAC (Washington, Oregon and Idaho). NMJC finished seventh in the competition during the 2021-22 season.

NMJC has received several athletic upgrades. The volleyball, men's and women's basketball facilities (Caster Activity Center) underwent a 17.5-million-dollar renovation during 2020-21 that included a lobby video wall, video score table, updated locker rooms, track team lounge, academic study lounge and updated Hall of Fame showcase area.  Along with the upgrades to Caster Activity Center, NMJC is completed a new 12,000 square foot, 1.5 million-dollar, indoor golf facility with putting surfaces, four driving bays with video analysis equipment and 2 Track Man video automated performance labs. Ross Black Track received a 1.5 million-dollar upgrade in preparation of hosting the 2023 NJCAA National Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

Deron joined the NMJC staff following a 28-year baseball coaching / Athletic Director career that included stops at Northwood University in Dallas (1988-91), San Jacinto College in Houston (1991-94), Texarkana College, Texarkana, TX (1994-1997) and Paris Junior College, Paris, TX (1997-2016). Deron holds a Master's degree from the University of Arkansas in Biomechanics and a Bachelor's of Science in Education from John Brown University, Siloam Springs, AR.

Deron and his wife Saundra of 39 years have two children, Katie (32) and Jake (27) and two grandchildren Nolan and Hudson. Katie is a Captain in the Army stationed at Ft. Stewart in Savanah, GA and is married to son-in-law, Ramson. Their son Jake is a retired Captain from the Army and lives in Wichita Falls, TX.