Aaron Decker has been named head men's and women's cross country coach at Central Christian College of the Bible, Director of Athletics Jack Defreitas announced Monday. Decker becomes the second head coach in the history of the cross country programs following CCCB's announcement in June that it would reinstate the sport.

"Aaron is an outstanding hire for CCCB," Defreitas said. "I don't think we could have found a better match to lead our cross country program. His experience in coaching and recruiting runners is top notch and he is a perfect fit mission-wise for the institution."

Decker has a decade of experience coaching track and field at the collegiate level. Following the start to his coaching career in 2004 as a graduate assistant for track and field at Illinois State University, an NCAA Division I program in Normal, Ill., he has served as either an assistant or head coach for track and field at North Park University in Chicago, Trinity Christian College in Chicago, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and Central Methodist University in Fayette.

During his time as the head track and field coach at Wisconsin-River Falls, the program broke 44 school records and produced 13 All-Americans, a national champion, and 15 academic All-Americans in four years.

In addition to athletic performance, a lot of his efforts throughout the years have involved coordinating mission work, teaching students about serving the Lord and others, and helping student-athletes realize their potential as servants of God and members of the community.  

"I want to thank CCCB and the administration for this opportunity to develop student athletes through a ministry centered approach and share my experiences and leadership abilities with the future leadership that CCCB continues to model and share with the community," Decker said. "Every CCCB student that I have gotten to know in recent years has carried the qualities and giving personality that can grow a community. I look forward to growing in my faith alongside the student body of CCCB."

Decker graduated from Truman State University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. He earned a Master of Science in Exercise Science with an emphasis in Biomechanics from Illinois State University in 2006. Additionally, he holds certification as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and is certified in multiple categories by the USA Track and Field.

Decker currently serves as the Code Enforcement Officer and Building Inspector for the City of Moberly. He and his wife, Niki, have three daughters, Delany, Logyn, and Maggie, and attend Timber Lake Christian Church.

Central Christian College of the Bible is pleased to announce the planned reinstatement of three sports and the addition of another.  The Saints will reinstate men’s cross country, women’s cross country, and men’s soccer, as well as add women’s soccer, with competition for all four sports beginning with the Fall of 2020.

The cross country, soccer, and volleyball programs were discontinued at Central Christian after the conclusion of the 2016 seasons. The new programs will join men’s and women’s basketball in bringing the Saints’ total back up to six sports.

“Discontinuing those sports three years ago was necessary at the time due to financial and participation factors,” Central Christian President Dr. David Fincher said. “However, we wanted these programs to come back when we could make a plan to recruit and enroll sustainable number of students-athletes for them.”

The Central Christian men’s soccer program began play as a varsity sport in 1997. It is a sponsored sport of the Midwest Christian College Conference and the National Christian College Athletic Association. The Saints were co-MCCC champions and made their only NCCAA Division II national tournament appearance in 2008.

The men’s and women’s cross country programs competed for three seasons from 2014-16. Although it is not a sponsored sport of the MCCC, the NCCAA Division II recognizes cross country as a sponsored sport and requires qualification for its national meet in November.

“We are extremely excited to be adding these four sports to our lineup,” Central Christian Director of Athletics Jack Defreitas said. “We needed to take some time to re-strategize our vision for operating successful athletic programs at Central, and we’ve done that.”

The brand new sport to the lineup, women’s soccer, is a sponsored sport of the NCCAA. Two other MCCC members, Faith Baptist Bible College and Manhattan Christian College, compete in women’s soccer, while others have expressed interest in adding the program.

Soccer has the third-most participants of any sport at all ages in the United States behind basketball and baseball. By adding men’s and women’s soccer programs, the College will be able to increase the diversity of its athletic offerings, provide a new outlet for student life, and give the community an opportunity to connect with the College through the world’s most popular sport.

“The ultimate goal of athletics at Central, as it has been, is to help our student-athletes develop Christlike character, servant leadership, and excel athletically,” Defreitas said. “We want to attract more students to the institution to achieve that goal.”

A search will begin immediately for a head coach for the new programs, while Defreitas will serve as the primary contact until a coach has been named.

For additional information regarding the College’s cross country and soccer programs, please contact Jack Defreitas via e-mail or by phone at (660) 263-3900 ext.187.