CBU Athletics

Derek Moore, a former NCAA Division I standout and California Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, joined California Baptist University wrestling's coaching staff as an assistant in May 2017. He was named the Lancers' Interim Head Coach in May 2022 and the full time Head Coach in September of 2022.

in 2024-25, Coach Moore led the Lancers to six dual wins. The program earned three ranked wins against #13 West Virginia, #20 Cal Poly, and #24 CSU Bakersfield. Hunter Leake became the first 2x NCAA Qualifier and BIG 12 Placer in program history and the second Lancer to earn a win at NCAA's after pinning Luke Wertanen of Michigan in the pigtail round at 133lbs. 

In 2023-24, Coach Moore led the Lancers to its most dual wins since 2017 with seven. The program also earned its first-ever ranked victory this season by besting #19 Air Force 20-12 in Colorado Springs. The Lancers earned their first two national qualifiers in 2024 with Hunter Leake and Elijah Griffin, who both also placed at the BIG 12 Championships in their respective weight classes. 

In CBU's first year in the BIG 12 conference, Moore guided the program to its first BIG 12 dual win at Wyoming and dual wins over Vanguard and the program's first win over Cal State Bakersfield. Under Moore's tutelage, the Lancers defeated seven ranked wrestlers and had a BIG 12 Wrestler of the Week in Elijah Griffin.

The Lancers competed in their first-ever BIG 12 Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma and faced several All-Americans and national champions. Hunter Leake earned the first-ever win in the tournament with a decision win over Kobe Nelms of Utah Valley in the 133-lb weight class. 

Moore was named the 2020 National Collegiate Open Co-Coach of the Year after the Lancers produced five All-Americans at the event. In four years with Moore on the staff, CBU has won 16 duals, finished top-three at the 2018 NCAA Division II Championships and produced 12 All-Americans, including two national champions.
 
Prior to CBU, Moore spent four seasons as an assistant coach helping rebuild the program at Division I Sacred Heart University.  Sacred Heart earned two top-10 All-Academic finishes and had four Pioneers secure top-eight individual finishes at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships in Moore's four seasons. 
 
The move reunited him with Head Coach Lennie Zalesky, who he wrestled under at UC Davis from 2003 to 2007. After walking on to the program at Davis, Moore became the first Aggie in any sport to win an individual NCAA championship at the 2007 Division I Championships. 
  
The former 141-pounder won two Pac-10 championships at his weight class in 2006 and 2007. Moore was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA Championships in 2007 after he went 5-0 in the tournament and upset top-seeded Ryan Lang of Northwestern with a 17-2 technical fall.
 
Moore was also named the Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year and UC Davis Male Athlete of the Year in 2007.
 
After college, Moore served six years in the United States Army as a field artillery officer. 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.
 
Moore received his master's in Business Administration in May 2016 from Sacred Heart, serving as his class' graduate commencement speaker. He graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and molecular biology.

 

		OVERALL			CONFERENCE
YEAR	SCHOOL	W	L	PERCENT	W	L	PERCENT	CONF.
2021-2022	CBU	2	8	20.0	0	0	0	BIG 12
2022-2023	CBU	3	12	20.0	1	6	14.3	BIG 12
2023-2024	CBU	7	10	41.0	2	6	25.0	BIG 12
2024-2025	CBU	6	9	40.0	2	6	25.0	BIG 12
California Baptist		18	39	31.5	5	18	23.0