Submitted by The Evergreen State College
Derrick Pringle has been hired as the head women’s basketball coach at The Evergreen State College as announced by Associate Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Zeb Hoffman. Pringle begins his duties with the Geoducks immediately.
Pringle, who received a bachelor’s degree from Evergreen in 2000, has a history of coaching basketball players in Olympia and the surrounding area. He also has been in charge of the non-profit DAP Hoops, which mentors kids through teaching basketball and life skills. The support from DAP Hoops also includes helping students prepare to attend college. DAP Hoops has been in operation since 1997.
Throughout his career, Pringle’s philosophy has been to uplift others through his coaching and mentoring efforts. As a result, it was an emotional departure when Pringle met with the younger children at DAP Hoops during his final day with the organization. According to Pringle, he and the youngsters had tears in their eyes as they completed their final gathering together.
As a coach, Pringle was an assistant boys’ basketball coach at Timberline High School (C team head coach) and River Ridge High School (JV head coach, varsity assistant) for one year each while attending Evergreen from 1998-2000. In 2000-01, he was the assistant men’s basketball coach at South Puget Sound Community College.
He became the athletic director and head boys’ basketball coach at Northwest Christian High School in Lacey, Washington, from 2001-03. He was the athletic director and head girls’ basketball coach at Chief Leschi Schools in Puyallup, Washington, form 2003-06.
Pringle returned to The Evergreen State College as an assistant women’s basketball coach from 2006-08. Later, he was the head women’s coach at Grays Harbor College from 2008-12, served as the head boys’ coach at Shelton High School from 2014-19, and was the head boys coach at Rochester High School from 2019-22. He received the Rising Coaches Community Award in 2021 and 2022.
Now he’s back with the Geoducks and ready to build the Evergreen women’s basketball program. The regular season opener is at Saint Martin’s University on Nov. 13.
“I’m kind of excited,” Pringle said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to come back to the school I was at and give back because of what it gave to me.”
Pringle has been impressed with the Geoducks’ so far. “They’re very positive, I like their energy, and I see good things coming out of this transition from Coach Jackie Robinson to me.” Robinson left Evergreen this summer to become an assistant women’s basketball coach at Boise State University.
The Evergreen women’s basketball players made Pringle feel right at home as soon as he met them. “They were very welcoming, and they really work hard.”
What type of team does Pringle envision for the Geoducks?
“A lot of up-tempo play,” he said., noting that he hopes to be able to use a full-court press, with defense leading to offensive success.
Although he seldom focuses on himself, Pringle listed motivation, his positive attitude, and that he’s caring as his strengths as a coach. I’m very passionate about helping those who need help.,” Pringle added.
