Bob DeVries enters his 32nd season as the New Mexico Highlands cross country/track and field coach.
 
A native of Wisconsin, DeVries competed collegiately for and graduated from New Mexico Highlands University earning bachelor's and master's degrees in history in 1981 and 1983, respectively. His master’s degree was conferred with honors. After being named Rocky Mountain Conference Scholar Athlete in 1980, DeVries assisted with the Cowboy cross country program for two seasons, helping Highlands achieve a top 10 NAIA nationals finish in 1981. 
 
DeVries began his high school teaching and coaching career at Magdalena High School in New Mexico where he took over a struggling track program. Within years, the track team became the pre-eminent track program in the district, capturing the district title numerous times as well as individual event state championships.
 
Following a 10-year high school stint, DeVries returned to NMHU in 1992 and took over a Highlands cross country program in turmoil after seeing four coaches in a three-year period. During his more than 30 years at the helm of Highlands cross country, DeVries has twice been named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Cross Country Coach of the Year and guided the program to nationals five times (1998, 1999, 2007, 2011 and 2013) including  top-10 NCAA championship finishes in 1998 and 2007  — the only school in the nation to place in the top 10 without having a men’s track and field program. DeVries has coached 15 cross country All-Americans.
 
In 2006, DeVries added duties as head coach of women’s outdoor track and field. The program was implemented on a limited basis with DeVries as its part-time coach. In 2008, he was brought on full time to coach the cross country and women’s track and field programs at Highlands with the addition of indoor track and field.
 
Under coach DeVries, the Cowgirls have amassed 14 national champions among six different athletes; over 60 individual and six relay All-American honors; three US Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association Athletes of the Year (Outdoor Field by Jillissa Grant in 2012 and Salcia Slack in 2014 and 2015); Six Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Athletes -of-the-Year and more than 80 All-RMAC awards.


DeVries has led the Cowgirls to four RMAC Track & Field championships and two top-three finishes at the NCAA Championships. His track and field and cross-country teams have finished in the top ten nationally nine times and have been honored as Academic All-American programs more than 25 times in cross country and track and field and DeVries himself has been named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach-of-the Year seven times.

Coach DeVries is married to Liz DeVries, herself an NMHU grad and former Cowgirl volleyball player, The couple have two daughters—Alexis and Kayla, a son David and one grandson—Ziah.