One of the toughest challenges to the USA’s women winning gold in track events at the Paris Olympics will come from a home-grown talent. Honing her skills at LSU, Favour Ofili is both a Nigerian as well as an African record-holder in the 200m indoor and outdoor races. Since she came to the US in 2021, Ofili has made her mark in the NCAA circuit and is set to represent the white and green flag at the French capital, and she’s been trained by one of the best names in the sport.

Dennis Shaver is the head coach of LSU’s track and field program and has been associated with the Tigers for almost three decades. Under his tutelage, Favour flourished in the SEC Championships. But what is Shaver’s expertise that makes him such a force to be reckoned with? Let’s have a look!

Dennis Shaver: Meet the coach of Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili

Shaver started his journey as the assistant coach for LSU in 1996. It’s this iconic figure in the USA’s collegiate scene who helped Ofili find her bearings when she was offered a scholarship by the school. While she won’t be returning to Baton Rouge for another run with the Tigers, Favour continues to trust Dennis to help her prepare for the upcoming Paris Olympics. The sprinter is part of the Tiger Olympians Group, where she will be working with her coach in close quarters to sharpen her skills.

During her time at LSU, Ofili has racked up 13 USTFCCCA First Team All-American honors along with boasting six SEC Championship titles. And all of these have come under the able leadership of Dennis Shaver. However, Ofili isn’t the only athlete who has risen through the ranks under Shaver’s mentorship.

Dennis Shaver’s records as the coach of Louisiana State University

During his time as LSU’s assistant coach, Shaver was part of the staff team that led the Tigers to 12 national championships. Since he took up the role of the head coach, Dennis has only added more feathers to his cap. In 2008, the LSU women were crowned the national champions and Dennis has the bragging rights to the 7 SEC titles under his belt. In 2019, Dennis led the men’s track and field team to its first SEC Outdoor title since 1990.

The relay team comprised of Brandon Hicklin, Dorian Camel, Da’Marcus Fleming, and Godson Oghenebrume is widely regarded as one of the best relay teams in collegiate history and with them, Dennis managed to achieve a record of 37.90 in the men’s 4x100m race in 2023. Coach Shaver currently sits atop an impressive record of 32 top-four finishes in the NCAA Championships and 37 top-three finishes in the SEC Championships. Moreover, Dennis has also trained 69 medal winners along with 26 relay teams in the NCAA Championships.

Sha’Carri Richardson is another of Dennis’ star students who bagged the collegiate record in 2019 at the NCAA Championships with her break-neck 10.75 finish in the 100m sprint. Xavier Carter and Aleia Hobbs have also been fortunate to learn from this towering name in the country’s track and field domain.

And his accolades don’t end only in the national tournaments. Shaver is the coach of 34 Olympians and 12 Olympic medalists, an impressive feat undoubtedly. But does he have what it takes to help Ofili also find similar triumphs on the biggest stage? We’ll have to find out.