Coppin State head coach: We may look like underdogs, but we’re going to earn respect  

BALTIMORE – When Darrell Mosley accepted the role of head women’s basketball coach for Coppin State in April, it wasn’t just another line on his resume; it was a return to the kind of environment that raised him.

As a former guard for Delaware State and Lincoln University, Mosley knows firsthand the pride and grit that define basketball at historically Black colleges and universities.

After building a contender at Division II Lincoln and earning Division I experience at Delaware and Arizona State, Mosley has arrived at Coppin State with a clear purpose. This year represents more than a new season for the Eagles (1-5 overall) – it’s a reset.

Former head coach Jermaine Woods departed in April for Norfolk State after leading Coppin State to one of its best seasons in over a decade. Last season, the Eagles compiled a 19-15 record, the program’s highest win total since 2012, and earned their first postseason bid since 2009. With nearly the entire roster from that run gone, Mosley stepped into a full rebuild.

As recruiting coordinator, assistant coach Shemika Jones helped Mosley build his new roster and define the team’s tempo. Working with Mosley has deepened her appreciation for his leadership, she said.

“He’s been at the highest level, but he’s still the same person,” Jones said. “No ego, no switch-up. Everything he learned at that Power 4 level, he’s bringing back and pouring into us.”

Mosley’s coaching philosophy was born long before he ever held a clipboard.

While playing for Delaware State (2006-08), he learned the value of winning and discipline, but he also felt the sting of the absence of a genuine player-coach relationship. When he transferred to Lincoln (2008-10), he found that close relationship but not the same level of structure. Mosley believes his experiences as a student-athlete shaped his coaching style.

“I realized I wanted to create that middle ground where you can lead with structure and love,” he said.

In six seasons as head coach at Lincoln (2015-21), he developed Lincoln’s women’s basketball program into a conference title contender by instilling a culture of toughness and accountability. Practices mirrored game intensity, and he prioritized developing leaders on and off the court.

“Coming from a low-resource program, I had to make things appealing and do whatever it took,” Mosley said. “Within a few years, we built it on pride and hard work until the community and the university both saw we were creating something special.”

Mosley joined his first Division I team as assistant coach at Delaware for the 2021-22 season, when he helped the Blue Hens make their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2013.

Then he followed Delaware head coach Natasha Adair to Arizona State, joining her coaching staff ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. However, when Arizona State’s athletic director resigned in November 2023, the stability Mosley had envisioned quickly faded.

“Honestly, it wasn’t what I expected. People think Power 5 means luxury and ease, but it felt more like a glorified mid-major,” Mosley said. “That chapter taught me to push through tough times and look for the light at the end of the tunnel. It was time for me and my career to get back in the head coach seat and control my own destiny.”

After years of serving as an assistant coach, Mosley realized he missed leading his own program. The chance to return to the head coach’s chair and build something new made the Coppin State position the perfect fit.

Within his first week at Coppin, he tapped into his network and hit the recruiting trail, assembling a roster of 14 transfers and one walk-on.

“Our players come from all different backgrounds,” Mosley said.

He’s clear about what kind of identity he wants this team to have.

“As coaches, we have to get their confidence built up before conference play so that when conference play starts, our foundation won’t shift,” he said. “I want to be a defensive-minded team, and my forte is that we’re going to dictate our plays.”

The Coppin State Eagles were selected sixth out of eight teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) preseason poll, but Mosley isn’t concerned with outside expectations.

“We may look like the underdogs now, but don’t feel hopeful for us,” he said. “We’re going to earn respect. Because no matter what, anything can be taken away from us with a tough schedule or not.”

Team captains and senior guards Paris McBride and Jahcelyn Hartfield echo that message.

McBride spent last season as an assistant coach at Southeast Arkansas College after stints playing for Morehead State and North Carolina Central. She said the team is adjusting to a fresh start under Mosley’s leadership.

“Coach Mosley doesn’t see our past as setbacks,” she said. “He cares about what we can do next.”

Hartfield, a 5-foot-11 transfer from North Texas, adds length and athleticism to Coppin State’s backcourt. She said Mosley immediately created a welcoming environment for his players.

“He really knows the game and how to break it down and cares about us beyond basketball,” Hartfield said.

With an entirely new roster and staff, Mosley’s focus is on restoring pride and reconnecting the program to the community it represents.

“I hope people can see that we’re putting a good product on the floor,” he said. “We want people to see that we are giving our best effort and staying connected to our city.”

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