Derek Sparks joined the PLU football staff in the spring of 2018 as the inside wide receivers coach and became the running backs coach prior to the 2019 campaign.
A standout at Washington State and a free agent signee with the San Francisco 49ers, Sparks comes to PLU after serving as the associate head coach at Kennedy Catholic High School the previous two seasons. Prior to Kennedy Catholic he was the head coach at Garfield High School for two seasons. His stint as head coach of the Bulldogs included the program's first winning record since 1997 while qualifying for the state playoffs for the first time since 1979. His accomplishments include winning the Seattle Metro League Coach of the Year Award in 2014. Prior to coaching in the high school ranks, Sparks was the founder and general manager of the Puget Sound Titans, guiding the team to a national championship in 2008.
Sparks began his coaching career in the junior college ranks, serving as the running backs coach in 1997 at Compton College in southern California.
Sparks played at Washington State, helping the Cougars win the 1992 Copper Bowl and the 1994 Alamo Bowl. Sparks was the MVP of the 1994 Apple Cup and was a Doak Walker Award nominee in 1995. He continued his career with a free agent contract with the 49ers in 1998.
A motivational speaker, Sparks won the 49th Annual Coach-of-the-Year Award by the NFL National Football Foundation in 2014-2015. He is a best selling author, writing Lessons of the Game in 2000 and is the founder of the House of Champions for Homeless High School Student-Athletes in 2014.
Sparks graduated in 1996 from Washington State with a degree in social sciences with a minor in business.
