Wes Miller, former assistant track and field coach at South Plains College, is returning to the campus as the new head coach of the track and field and cross-country teams.

During Miller’s service at the college from Fall 2019 to Spring 2023, the track team won multiple national titles: 2021 Men’s Indoor/Outdoor, 2021 Women’s Outdoor, 2022 Men’s Indoor/Outdoor and 2023 Men’s Indoor/Outdoor. While at SPC, he was named National Assistant Coach of the Year five times by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

“I would like to thank Dr. Robin Satterwhite and Roger Reding for giving me the opportunity to return and lead this storied program,” Miller said. “I aim to represent South Plains College well, along with the community, the track program and those who have come before and laid the foundation of success. My goal is to lead young men and women to maturity in life, academics and athletics as we strive to contend for national championships.”

After assisting the SPC programs, Miller earned the role as head coach of the Wayland Baptist University Track & Field program.

Under Miller’s leadership in 2024, the Pioneer Men's Track & Field team placed sixth, and the 4x400-meter relay team placed first at the NCCAA National Championship. He also led the Pioneer Cross-Country teams to a runner-up finish in the Sooner Athletic Conference, and two of his athletes qualified for the NAIA National Championships.

“Coming back to South Plains is like returning home,” Miller said. “The people and environment make it special. We’ve already started training, and the team is excited and ready to compete. I’m looking forward to what this season holds and the recruitment for upcoming classes.”

After years of service to SPC Athletics, former SPC Track & Field Head Coach Erik Vance will start a new position with UCS Equipment for Track & Field.

Before coming to Levelland, Vance had a successful stint at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. In five years there, Vance coached the horizontal and vertical jumpers, as well as the multi-event athletes.

His success as a coach is proven by the performances of his athletes. At ULM, he coached four Sun Belt Conference champions, which included the 2015 Indoor heptathlon and Outdoor decathlon school-record holder, Isaac Grieder. Grieder holds the Sun Belt Championship record of 7,301 points for his performance in the decathlon as well. He also guided Corey Wesley, a Warhawk long and triple jumper, to a jump of 25 feet, 10 inches in the long jump in 2014. During his five years at ULM, he coached 10 athletes to the NCAA East preliminaries and had more than 15 Sun Belt All-Conference performers.

Before his time at ULM, Vance was a part of the coaching staff at Louisiana State University as a graduate assistant, coaching the horizontal and vertical jumpers. While there, he received his master’s degree in Kinesiology, graduating in 2010. He came to LSU upon his graduation from Baylor University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Health Science Studies in 2008. During his four years, Vance was a fighting Baylor Bear track and field athlete. He competed in pole vault, and was a four-time Commissioner’s Honor Roll selection, and named to the All-Big 12 Academic team in 2008.  

A Panhandle, Texas native, Vance was familiar with South Plains College, and as a Division I track coach, well aware of the success that SPC has achieved.

“It is an absolute honor to be able to head up a program with as much prestige as South Plains College,” Vance said. “The tradition here is incredible, and to be able to be the head coach and follow in the footsteps of coaches like Chris Beene, Lance Bingham, James Morris, and Clint Ramsey is humbling. I want to thank everyone I have encountered here for welcoming me to the South Plains College family. I have enjoyed my first year here immensely, and look forward to many more. Specifically, I want to thank coach Joe Tubb for giving me the opportunity at South Plains, and for having the faith in me to give me control of a program with such a prestigious history of success.”