PERES Alumni Update

Don Decker

After graduating from Evangel in 1988, Decker began his strength and conditioning career as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas. While working with the Razorbacks, Decker earned a master’s degree in exercise science from Arkansas in 1991. He then left Arkansas for his first full-time position at Kent (Ohio) State University, where he was the strength coach for football during the 1991 and 1992 seasons.

Decker then returned to Arkansas, where he was employed for 15 years. After working as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the first five years at Arkansas, Decker was elevated to the head strength and conditioning coach and worked in that capacity for 10 years. In 2004, Decker was named a master level strength coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association. He is one of only 43 strength and conditioning coaches in the world to earn that honor.

On Jan. 20, 2008, Decker followed former head Arkansas football coach Houston Nutt to the University of Mississippi, where he will be the head football strength coach. Decker and wife, Stacey (Raccuglia) have been married 19 years. Stacey is also a 1988 Evangel graduate and was a standout volleyball and basketball player for the Lady Crusaders for four seasons (1984-88).