Damar Forbes - Track & Field Coach - East Carolina University Athletics

Damar Forbes

Title:
Assistant Coach - Jumps
Email:
forbesda25@ecu.edu

Damar Forbes enters his first season at East Carolina University after three impactful seasons on the coaching staff at Brown University, where he primarily worked with the program’s sprinters and jumpers. A two-time Olympian with six World Championships appearances and an NCAA Championship, Forbes brings elite international experience and a proven record of athlete development at the collegiate and national levels.

During his tenure at Brown, Forbes helped guide multiple NCAA qualifiers, Ivy League champions, school-record holders, and All-Academic honorees, contributing to consistent success across the sprint and jump groups. Under Forbes’ assisted guidance, Zach Love developed into one of the most accomplished and versatile athletes in Brown history. During the 2024 outdoor season, Love earned First Team All-Ivy honors, was named Academic All-Ivy, and qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the long jump after recording the second-best mark in school history (7.74m).

Indoors, Love recorded the second-best long jump mark in school history (7.65m) and competed on the second-fastest 4×400-meter relay (3:12.28) in school history. During the 2023 outdoor season, he earned Second Team All-Ivy honors, qualified for the NCAA First Round, advanced to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships, and earned Honorable Mention All-America recognition. That same season, Love ran the second-fastest 100-meter dash in program history (10.58). He was also named a CSC Academic All-District honoree. Joseph Oduro emerged as one of the Ivy League’s top triple jumpers during Forbes’ tenure. During the 2024–25 indoor season, Oduro captured the Ivy League championship in the triple jump, earning First Team All-Ivy honors while recording the third-best triple jump mark in school history (15.58m). Outdoors, he qualified for the NCAA East Regional, set the sixth-best triple jump mark in program history (15.40m), and earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. Jada Joseph qualified for the NCAA National Championships in the triple jump during both the 2024 and 2025 seasons, establishing herself as a consistent national-level performer. During the 2025 outdoor season, Joseph recorded personal bests of 13.15m in the triple jump and 6.29m in the long jump, advancing through the East Regional to compete at the NCAA Championships. Lauren Yeboah-Kodie recorded the second-best long jump mark in school history (6.17m) during the 2023–24 indoor season. Outdoors in 2023, she qualified for the NCAA First Round in both the long jump and triple jump, was voted Most Outstanding Field Performer at Ivy League Heps, won the Ivy League long jump title, earned Second Team All-Ivy honors in the triple jump, and broke the school record in the long jump (6.29m). Frank Monahan-Morang recorded a 7.65-meter long jump during the 2025 outdoor season, ranking among the top performances in the Ivy League and earning a berth at the NCAA East Regional.

Forbes also contributed significantly to Brown’s sprint success. He coached Brown’s record-breaking 4×100-meter relay team (40.61), the fastest time ever recorded by a Brown team. He coached Daniel Sarisky to the second-fastest 100-meter dash (10.45) and sixth-fastest 200-meter dash (21.30) in school history. Solomon Miller ran 6.82 in the 60 meters, ranking third all-time at Brown. Elias Archie was a member of the school-record–breaking 4×100-meter relay (40.61), finished fifth in the 60 meters at Ivy League Heps while tying his personal best and the second-fastest mark in school history (6.81) during the indoor season. During the 2024 outdoor season, Archie also recorded the third-fastest 100-meter dash in program history (10.58) at Ivy League Outdoor Heps. Jason Estrada was a member of the school-record–breaking 4×100-meter relay (40.61), he recorded the fourth-fastest 400-meter dash in program history (47.15) at Ivy League Heps and set a personal best of 21.58 in the 200 meters during the 2024–25 outdoor season. Alyssa Jackson recorded the fourth-fastest 60 meters (7.58), tied the second-fastest 100-meter time (11.86), and ranked seventh all-time in the 200 meters (24.22). Trevor Wilder was a Member of the school-record–breaking 4×100-meter relay (40.61) and recorded the sixth-fastest 400 meters in program history (47.36). He posted the third-fastest Indoor 200 meters in school history (21.49).

Before arriving at Brown, Forbes served as an assistant coach for sprints, hurdles, and jumps at Loyola University New Orleans, where he coached multiple NAIA National Championship qualifiers. His athletes combined to set numerous school records, including Nicholas Solomon, who established program records in the indoor and outdoor 400 meters, indoor triple jump, and outdoor long jump, and Braddock Lord, who broke school records in the 55-meter and 60-meter hurdles. Forbes also coached Alyssa Salazar, who qualified for the NAIA Outdoor National Championshipsand set school records in the triple jump and 400-meter hurdles, and guided Kaitlyn Becnel to qualification for the NAIA Outdoor National Championships in the high jump.

As an athlete, Forbes represented Jamaica in the long jump at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he was a finalist. He was a five-time Jamaican national champion, made six World Championships appearances, and was a silver medalist at the 2011 CAC Games. Forbes competed professionally from 2013–2021, sponsored by Nike and Puma, winning over 10 international competitions, including multiple Diamond League meetings.

Collegiately, Forbes was one of the most decorated long jumpers in LSU history. He captured the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championship and SEC Outdoor Championship in the long jump, earned six All-America honors, and graduated second all-time on LSU’s indoor and outdoor performance lists. He was also named the 2013 SEC Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, 2013 LSU Male Athlete of the Year, and the 2012 USTFCCCA South Central Region Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.