New Cal Baptist head coach Derek Moore (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com)RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University wrestling has removed the interim tag and named Derek Moore the program's next head coach.
Moore was named the Lancers' interim head coach after Lennie Zalesky resigned after 11 years at the helm for CBU back in April. Moore first joined CBU as an assistant coach in 2017 and was named the National Collegiate Open Co-Coach of the Year in 2020 when the Lancers produced five All-Americans at the event.
"We are so excited for Derek Moore to lead our wrestling program into a very bright future," Director of Athletics Tyler Mariucci said. "Moore has proven himself as an outstanding leader in his five seasons here at CBU and in his short time in the interim role. He's earned this title and we can't wait to see what this program can accomplish in Division I and the Big 12 Conference."
CBU officially joined the Big 12 Conference as an affiliate member in wrestling on July 1 for the 2022-23 season. The Lancers will join the other Big 12 wrestling members in a regular season scheduling alliance and will compete for the league's postseason title and automatic qualification into the NCAA championships.
"I am overjoyed and honored to have the 'interim' title lifted and be named the next head coach here at CBU; God is so incredibly good to me," Moore said. "I want to thank President Dr. Ronald L. Ellis and Tyler Mariucci for their support and confidence in my ability to lead this program forward. I believe in this institution, I believe in this program and I believe in the young men who have committed to being part of this amazing story we are writing."
Moore is an accomplished wrestler in his own right. He was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler with UC Davis at the NCAA Division I Championships in 2007 when he won the 141-pound national title. The move to Riverside reunited him with Zalesky, who he wrestled under at UC Davis from 2003-07.
Over his career, Moore won two Pac-10 championships at his weight class. He was also crowned the Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year and UC Davis Male Athlete of the Year in 2007.
Prior to CBU, Moore spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Sacred Heart University. He also served six years in the United States Army as a field artillery officer after college. During that time, he spent four years training at the Olympic Training Center with the Army's World Class Athlete Program. As a soldier-athlete, he represented the Army in World and Olympic competition and qualified for the 2012 freestyle Olympic trials at 60 kilograms.
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