Bio

Derek Kite is entering his sixth year as the head coach for the Point University men’s and women’s swimming teams. Kite took over the reins of the swimming programs in the summer of 2018. The 2023-24 season will be the swimming program’s eighth year of competing collegiately.

Prior to his hiring at Point, Coach Kite worked as a private coach for Southwest Aqua Sports in Lubbock, Texas, beginning in Oct. 2016.  Southwest Aqua Sports is billed as the largest indoor scuba diving and swimming facility in west Texas.  Kite launched the Southwest Aqua Swimming team and Masters swimming programs and served as coach and trip organizer of swimming meets throughout the west Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma region.  He taught, analyzed and fine-tuned swim stroke techniques and wrote daily workouts for 50 athletes.  He also coached and managed over 80 age-group athletes and 20 adult swimming athletes.

Kite served as Co-Manager of the refurbishing division of Fix in a Zip, a mobile phone repair company in Lubbock from March, 2015-Dec., 2016, after leaving Lubbock Christian University.

A 1995 Lubbock Christian graduate and 2006 LCU Hall of Honor inductee, Coach Kite re-joined his alma mater in 2011, as head coach replacing Coach Clyde Neff, who reinstated the cross country program in 2006 after it was disbanded after the 1997 season.

Kite returned to LCU after serving as the first-ever men's and women's track and cross country coach at York College (Neb.) from 2009-11.  He recruited and managed over 40 student-athletes over three years at LCU.  The 2012 LCU men’s cross country team placed ninth in the NAIA National meet in the school’s first NAIA national appearance since 1997, and both the men’s and women’s teams qualified runners for the NAIA National Championships during Kite’s tenure.

As a Lubbock Christian student-athlete, Kite competed on four NAIA championship teams from 1991-94, and running the fourth-best time at nationals during his senior season.  He earned 14 All-America honors at LCU including the 1994 NAIA National indoor track three-mile championship and the 1994 NAIA outdoor track 3,000-meter steeplechase championship.  He also was a two-time competitor at the United States Olympic Trials in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (1996 and 2000).  In 2006, Kite was inducted into the LCU Hall of Fame.

The Lubbock Christian University cross country program has a storied history within the NAIA.  From 1990-1997, the men's cross country program claimed eight consecutive NAIA National Championship titles, including four titles with Kite as its top runner.  In 2001, the NAIA inducted former cross country head coach Darrell Price into the NAIA Hall of Fame.  Through the years, LCU has produced 48 NAIA Cross Country All-Americans, with 46 representing the men's program.

Prior to his year as a student-athlete at LCU, Kite enjoyed an illustrious high school career in California where he won the State championship in the mile (4:13) in 1990, and was a member of number one-ranked cross country team in the nation, Agoura High School, for two seasons.

After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Lubbock Christian, Kite launched Endurance Training International (ETI) in 1995, to provide private coaching services for endurance athletes internationally.

He then coached the men's cross country team at Pepperdine University (Calif.) for three seasons (1996-1998).  As an adjunct professor at Pepperdine, he also taught required undergraduate courses in health, nutrition and exercise and performed fitness testing.  He also earned his Emergency Medical Technician license from the UCLA School of Medicine.

Kite also was the 2003 USAT Rookie Duathlete of the Year (running/cycling) and ranked number one in the nation.  He competed in several Duathlon World Championships and was a three-time top-American finisher and was sixth overall at the 2007 World Championships in Hungary.  Kite has competed in numerous triathlons as a professional (running, cycling and swimming) and won five events in 2003.

He also was a member of the United States National Triathlon Resident Team at the Olympic Training Center, winning several national and international competitions and obtained numerous sponsorship contracts.

Coach Kite possesses the following training and certifications:

• USA Triathlon Certified Level 1 Coach (2006)
• USA Triathlon CEUs in “Fueling the Female Athlete: the Science of Nutrition” (2006)
• USA Track and Field Certified Level Coach (2008)
• CPR/AED and First Aid Certified (current)
• USATF Professional Athlete High Altitude Symposium Training (1997).

Derek and his wife, Valerie, have five children.