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head coach, taking the Patroons to the championship. He returned to the Patroons for the 2018 NAPB season, and was on the sidelines when Albany moved to the TBL. In fact, Derrick Rowland is the only person to participate in all four Patroons’ championship runs – two victories as a player (1984, 1988) and four appearances as a head coach (2007, 2009, 2018, 2019), including a title on the Armory court in 2019.

Rowland also has another Albany coaching championship in his possession, as he coached the Albany Legends to a victory over the Bellingham (Wash.) Slam, winning the International Basketball Association 2010 title.

When the Patroons returned to Albany for the 2017-18 season, Derrick Rowland was there, coaching the team to a 1910 record, bringing the team back to the championship finals. Under his tutelage, his players Edwin Ubiles and Xavier Moon earned league honors as Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year, respectively.

After a year away from the Patroons, coaching the Potowatomi Fire to a TBL playoff run, Derrick Rowland returns to the Patroons for the 2023 season. And this time, he has an added benefit. His son, Derrick Rowland Jr., a guard who played collegiately at the University of New Haven, where he averaged 13 points per game in his four years, is part of the Patroons as well – making Derrick Rowland one of the few professional basketball coaches whose son is on the court. Previous NBA coach-player family combos include Doc Rivers and son Austin, Mitchell Wiggins and son Andrew, and Bill Walton with son Luke Walton.

Coach Derrick Rowland has achieved a pretty impressive run in the Armory - both as a player and as a coach – with the Albany Patroons.

Not bad for a guy who was cut in the Patroons’ opening practice nearly four decades ago.