In a groundbreaking move for Spring Independent School District, Derrell Oliver, the first African American Athletic Director in the district's history, has been on an exhilarating journey since assuming the role. Just a month into his tenure, and following his stint as Interim Athletic Director last summer, succeeding the retired Armando Jacinto, Coach Oliver has been dynamically shaping the athletic landscape.

“It has been a blur since July, so everything just happened really, really fast,” he said. “And the only thing I could do was strap up and let's go. It's about what needs to be done to take care of the department, what needs to be done to take care of the coaches, and what needs to be done to take care of the kids. And that's the only thing that I focused on the entire time.”

In the midst of the bustling Texas football season, Coach Oliver navigated through one of the busiest periods for any athletic director. With the Westfield High School football team dominating in undefeated district play and securing a spot in the playoffs, there was no time to slow down—Coach Oliver hit the ground running. Yet, he humbly acknowledges the collaborative efforts of his colleagues in the Athletics Department and the invaluable support from coaches in neighboring school districts.

Coach Oliver, fairly new to Spring ISD with three years of tenure, brings two decades of rich experience in education and athletics. Starting his coaching journey in 2004 at Richardson ISD, he held diverse roles, evolving from Head Football Coach to Athletic Director. What sets Oliver apart is his unconventional start in engineering at Prairie View A&M University, followed by impactful roles at NASA and Hewlett Packard. Despite his success in engineering, his passion for teaching and coaching led him back to the classroom and the field. With an engineering degree, MBA, and a Master's in Educational Leadership, Coach Oliver sees his time at NASA and HP as integral to his role as an exceptional athletic director.

While he humbly downplays the trailblazer label, he aims to encourage even a single child to dream big. Coach Oliver recognizes the broader impact of Spring ISD and its Athletics on the state, emphasizing the district's reputation for excellence in both sports and academics. His goal is to elevate local awareness of Spring's significance and ensure the community understands its high visibility and impact across Texas.