FORT MYERS, Fla. — For almost two decades Darrin Wallace has been a coaching staple in Southwest Florida. This year he’s back to help Florida Southwestern bring another championship to the school.
In terms of jobs around the country, being on the staff at Florida Southwestern is as good as it gets.
“Getting into college coaching can be difficult, especially when it is a program like FSW, which you know is a national power,” FSW assistant coach Darrin Wallace said.
An image formed by the team’s consistent success, its best-in-the-country facilities and list of Division 1 players that have played inside Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
So when a job opened this summer following former assistant coach Kente Hart taking a job with IUPUI, head coach Eric Murphy had no shortage of options to replace him.
“Man, I had a lot of people asking and inquiring about the job,” FSW head men’s basketball coach Eric Murphy said.
Luckily for Coach Murphy, he didn’t have to go far to find his guy.
“I got the call and I accepted right away,” Coach Wallace said.
Coach Wallace has Southwest Florida basketball running through his veins.
A Cape Coral graduate, Coach Wallace got his start as a JV coach at his alma mater after finishing his playing career at Florida Gulf Coast. From there, he moved up the ranks and became a high school coach. After a stint at that level, he returned to his alma mater, FGCU, to become a member of their video department for one season.
He would quickly return to coaching and helped lead Canterbury to a state finals appearance. Following his successful run in Fort Myers, he was on the inaugural FSW coaching staff from 2016 to 2018, where he worked with Coach Murphy.
“Anytime that you can get an assistant that has head coaching experience, it is always important just because I can bounce things off of him and he has already probably been through those scenarios,” Coach Murphy said.
Putting all of that new knowledge to use in his second stint with the Bucs.
That includes what he did between 2018 and now when he coached some of the best AAU teams and players in the country. Making connections at the college level to help current FSW players make the jump.
“All of that plays a factor into this program and into the players. Like I said, that is why I wanted him to be on board and that is why I’m glad he is here because you can help me out and those things,” Coach Murphy said.
This time, returning to the Bucs with a clear goal moving forward.
“We won conference championships, regionals, we have done all of that. Our goal this year is to win the national championship, and with the players we have, we are right there,” Coach Wallace said.
The top 25 ranked Bucs are back on the court at home on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
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