Derek Roberts took long road to coaching boys’ basketball at City High

IOWA CITY - It all started on a blacktop in a church parking lot behind Derek Roberts' house when he was growing up.

From then on, he would continue to pursue his dream with the game of basketball.

Roberts, now the head boys' basketball coach at Iowa City High, played basketball in high school and continued to play in college until his senior year when he suffered an injury and realized his chances of making into the NBA were slim.

'I went to college and played, but I tore my ACL my senior year the second day of practice and it was tough that I missed my senior year of playing,” Roberts said. 'I also wanted to be in the NBA, but then they found out there wasn't enough room for a 6-3 guy who can't jump all that well.”

Roberts decided to attend the University of Iowa and study mechanical engineering, but soon realized something was missing.

'I got my coaching certification, I mean I do have my engineering degree which has lead me to teaching,” Roberts said.

Roberts' coaching career kicked off at Mid-Prairie High School in 2010. Roberts continued to move from school to school and now is in his seventh season.

'(The year after Mid Prairie) I went to Cedar Rapids Kennedy where I was a varsity assistant for three years and head sophomore coach for two, then I went to Ankeny Centennial for two years in which I was head sophomore and assistant varsity again,” he said. 'Then last year was my first job head coaching at Maquoketa High School and then this year (at City High).”

Roberts believes he has a unique opportunity to work with a Class 4A team.

'I wanted to get back to 4A,” he said. I think (4A) is very competitive and you can run your program in unique ways along with more depth.

'Iowa City High was just a unique situation with a good foundation that Coach (Don Showalter had put down.”