Longtime SW FL men’s basketball coach Darrin Wallace hired as FGCU assistant
The jump from junior college to Division I basketball coach often comes with a moving truck.
For former Florida Southwestern State College men’s coach Darrin Wallace, it never happened.
Wallace, who played on FGCU’s first men’s basketball team during the 2002-03 season and served as the program’s video coordinator from 2010-11, returned to FGCU in late May as an assistant under head coach Pat Chambers.
Darrin Wallace was hired as an assistant coach on Pat Chambers’ staff at FGCU in May 2026, returning to the program after serving as a player in 2002-03 and video coordinator in 2010-11.
“It all happened so fast,” Wallace said. “It’s not often that you leave one place, especially in Division I, where you leave your job to work in Division I and you don’t have to leave. That just doesn’t happen. I’m very thankful for the opportunity coach (Pat) Chambers gave me because he’s settled. He had a lot of options. To show his trust in me, and give me this opportunity to do a very hard job, and give me the opportunity to work hard.
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“It’s great to be back. Obviously I played here a long time ago and I coached here for a while, but I love this university, I love this program, and I love this community in general.”
Wallace has been a mainstay in Southwest Florida for most of this century, coaching high schools at Gateway Charter, Cape Coral, Canterbury, and Riverdale. Wallace returned to the collegiate ranks when FSW arrived in 2022, serving as an assistant coach for two years under Eric Murphy before being promoted to lead the NJCAA program in 2024. He went 41-19 in his two seasons with the Bucs, adding a Citrus Conference title.
“We are very excited to add Darrin Wallace to our staff,” Chambers said in a statement. “Darrin has proven himself to be an outstanding head coach, coach, and mentor throughout his career. His ability to develop players, build meaningful relationships, and connect within the community make him an excellent addition to our program. He understands the culture of Southwest Florida and brings valuable experience that will have a positive impact on our student-athletes both on and off the court.”
Wallace furthered FSW’s reputation as a premier player development facility, sending 10 players to the Division I or Division II level. Wallace expects to continue that trajectory, aiming to improve an FGCU roster that has gone 57-66 under Chambers in four seasons.
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“I’m excited to build a relationship with the guys first,” Wallace said. “The best part about coaching and being a player was being a part of a team. I love that, and having the opportunity to work for one of the best coaches in the country in Coach Chambers, someone I can learn from.
“I feel like the team we brought in will be a special team that can do some interesting things this year.
FGCU adds two from the transfer portal
The Eagles announced two additions to their roster from the transfer portal on Thursday, June 4 – Charles “CJ” Outlaw and Elijah Brooks.
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Outlaw comes to FGCU from UMass, where he played the 2025-26 season. In 2024-25, the 6-foot-9 forward started 37 games for NJCAA national champion Trinity Valley Community College and shot 73% from the field en route to the national championship. Outlaw spent his freshman season at Mineral Area College. The son of former NBA player Bo Outlaw, he attended Olympia High School in Orlando.
Brooks spent the last two years at Houston Christian. He played in eight games for the Huskies in 2025-26 before missing the entire season due to injury, but averaged 12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 30.5 minutes per game before his injury. In 2024-25, he led HCU with 47.8% shooting from the field, and averaged 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Prior to Houston Christian, the Topeka, Kansas native spent two seasons at North Dakota
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X at @NP_AlexMartin or by email: amartin@usatodayco.com. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article first appeared in the Fort Myers News-Press: FGCU men’s basketball hires FSW head coach Darrin Wallace as assistant
