Derrick Wrobel enters the 2023-24 season with a promotion from recruiting coordinator to assistant coach. For the past two years, Wrobel has helped the Cougs recruit some of the best talent from the West Coast.
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In 2022-23, Wrobel also helped to recruit Jabe Mullins, Adrame Diongue, and Kymany Houinsou, who all played a part in the 17-17 season. The three players played in a combined 87 games with a combined 415 points.
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During the 2021-22 season, Wrobel recruited star talents like 2023 NBA 2nd round draft pick Mouhamed Gueye and transfer from South Alabama Michael Flowers, who etched his name as an all-time great at WSU as he became the program’s all-time single-season three-point record holder.
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Derrick Wrobel joined the Cougars basketball staff in September of 2021 as the team's recruiting coordinator. Wrobel brings 14 years of sideline experience with him to WSU having spent his entire career among the best in the Big East and the Pac-12.
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Prior to coming to WSU, Wrobel spent five seasons at his alma mater, Arizona State, assisting coach Bobby Hurley as the team's director of operations. Before returning to ASU, Wrobel was an assistant to head coach Steve Lavin at St. John's University and worked under head coach Mike Montgomery at Cal.
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While at Arizona State, Wrobel was part of a coaching staff that went to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2018 and 2019 while combining to win 43 games. At St. John's, Wrobel was part of a 21-win 2015 team that earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in five seasons.
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Under Lavin the Red Storm went 81-53 with three 20-win seasons and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
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Wrobel, in his career at ASU, Cal and St. John's has been on the staff of nine postseason teams including six NCAA Tournament teams as well as the 2010 Pac-10 Champion California Golden Bears.
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He spent four seasons on the Cal staff as he was with the Bears for back-to-back 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010, including the 2010 Pac-10 Championship season, the team's first conference title in 50 years.
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Wroble has been a part of all aspects of basketball operations in his time on the sidelines from recruiting to operations as well as schedule making. He is fluent in English and Polish and brings over a decade of international recruiting experience with him to the Palouse through his work with Global Connections.
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In Wrobel's administrative position, he was responsible for providing support for a variety of daily operations within the men's basketball program including game scheduling, team travel, as well as organizing practice and shoot around times.
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Originally from Phoenix, Wrobel graduated from Arizona State in 2001 from the Walter Cronkite School of Broadcasting with a B.A. in broadcast journalism. He was a four-year team manager as an undergraduate, and began his professional career in intercollegiate athletics upon graduation, serving as the Sun Devils' Director of Men's Basketball Operations from 2001-02 to 2005-06.
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He and his wife Michelle have two children, Zachary and Addison.
