SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- UC Santa Barbara men's basketball assistant coach Derek Glasser has been selected to participate in the Silver Waves Media Elite 75 Future Head Coach Power Lunch. The prestigious invitation is extended to 75 coaches nationwide who have distinguished themselves in the basketball space as potential future NCAA Division I head coaches.
The Silver Waves Media Elite 75 Future Head Coach Power Lunch is held during Final Four weekend and features network opportunities with five of the top search firms in college athletics, along with athletic directors and senior administrators from across the country. Over the past two years, more than a dozen previous participants have gone on to earn NCAA Division I head coaching positions.
Recently, just finishing his fourth season in the Blue and Gold, Derek Glasser has played a key role in one of the most successful stretches in program history. He helped lead UC Santa Barbara to the 2023 Big West regular season and tournament championships, an NCAA Tournament appearance, and a school-record 27 wins. He oversees scouting and game planning for an offense that ranked among the nation's top 80, while mentoring standout guards including Ajay Mitchell, the Big West Player of the Year and four All-Big West selection. Under his guidance, at least one Gaucho guard has earned All-Big West recognition each season.
Glasser has also been instrumental on the recruiting trail, helping secure high-major transfers such as Miro Little, Aidan Mahaney, Colin Smith, Ben Shtolzberg, and former five-star talent Yohan Traore. He also played a key role in landing four-star recruit Zion Sensley, the highest-rated recruit to commit to the Gauchos, and most recently helped bring in four-star recruit Michael Simcoe. Glasser's recruiting prowess doesn't stop there, as he also brought in 2025-26 Preseason All-Conference selection Jason Fontenet II.
Prior to UCSB, Glasser spent two seasons at Rice in the same capacity. He contributed to Rice's first stretch of three consecutive 15-win seasons since 2006. The Owls' 2021–22 offense finished in the top 50 nationally in nine statistical categories. All in all, across his five seasons at UC Santa Barbara and Rice, Glasser has coached and developed five NBA players: Trey Murphy, Drew Peterson, Quincy Olivari, Miles Norris, and Ajay Mitchell.
