Bio

Darren Turpin is joining the Cougars in his first year as Head Coach. He brings six years of experience as the Head Assistant Coach for the College of the Redwoods women’s basketball and two years of experience as the Interim Assistant Director of Residential Life for Redwoods. Darren briefly had a head coach stint for College of the Redwoods Men’s Basketball in the 2018-2019 season.

Turpin was a 2008 graduate of Dominguez High School, where he was a three-year varsity player and a two-year starter as a forward. Darren helped the Dons attain the 2004 CIF-SS Div.1 Championship, 2008 CIF-SS Div. 1 Championship, 2008 CIF-Southern Regional Championship, and 2008 CIF Div. 1 State Runner-up. He also played High School AAU Basketball for Branch West Academy and the I-Can All-Stars. 

Turpin then attended Navarro College in Corsicana, TX, from 2009-2011, where he was a part of the 2010 NJCAA Final Four team. He received the Junkyard Dawg Award in 2011. After graduating from Navarro College with his AA Degree in General Studies, he continued his collegiate basketball career at Humboldt State University from 2011-2013. As a Lumberjack, he was part of history, winning the University's first CCAA Tournament Championship in 2012 and appearing in the 2012 NCAA Div. 2 National Tournament. Darren received the 2013 Axe Man of the Year Award. 

Before his run at College of the Redwoods, Coach Turpin worked as a Head Coach for boy's basketball at Arcata High School from 2013-2017. He was the Frosh boy’s Head Coach for two years and the Junior Varsity boy’s Head Coach for two years. Along with coaching high school, Darren coached AAU for the Humboldt Wild and the Eureka Beast. 

Turpin received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration in 2017 from Humboldt State University and a Masters in Coaching and Athletics Administration in 2020 from Concordia University of Irvine.