Derek Welch enters his first season as Co-Defensive Coordinator and Safeties Coach for Braves Football.
 
Before coming to the reservation, Welch spent a season at Northeastern State in Oklahoma as the special team’s coordinator/secondary coach.
 
Prior to Northeastern Coach Welch was the Defensive Coordinator at Mississippi Valley State for five seasons. During his tenure, Coach Welch had 12 different student-athletes to make the all-conference teams including MVSU’s single season sack leader, Ronnie Thomas.
 
Welch began his coaching career as a student assistant strength and conditioning coach at UT-Martin (2011-12) and followed that with a stint as an offensive assistant at the University of Southern Arkansas (2012-13), coaching wide receivers for an offense that ranked second in the Great American Conference in total offense and fifth nationally with 497.6 yards per game.
 
Welch then spent 2013-14 as defensive coordinator at Kemper County High School before spending 2014-15 as Assistant Defensive Backs Coach at Northwestern State University before heading to East Central Community College. During his tenure at ECCC the Warriors reached the playoffs twice and Won the Heart of Texas Bowl vs Kilgore Community College in 2015.
 
Welch prepped at Taylorsville High School in MS, where he was a four-year letter player in football, basketball and track. Welch still holds the touchdown record at Taylorsville (28) which he captured his senior season. Welch was also an all-state receiver his junior and senior season.  
 
Welch and his wife, Rachel, have a daughter, Rylee Marie.