Bio

The 8th Head Coach of a storied basketball program that was pioneered by FC Hall of Famers Margo Davis, Colleen Riley, and Debi Woelke, Dan Desmond is entering his 4th year with the historic program and looks to continue the legacy of champions that is the standard at Fullerton College.

Coach Desmond has the Hornets moving in the right directon after a very successful 2024-25 season with a 19-11 overall finish. Fullerton also quailified for the postseason for the first time in ten years and won its first playoff game in fourteen seasons- a 80-47 victory over Citrus College.

Growing up in Northern California, Dan moved down south to attend Cal State Fullerton where he completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Kinesiology. In his studies at Cal State Fullerton, Dan specialized in Sport Psychology & Performance Enhancement and brings his love of the pursuit of human excellence to the program. Dan emphasizes training the complete athlete, making sure to help individuals improve in all facets of the game, including maintaining a high academic standard.

Prior to being named Head Coach, Dan served as an Assistant Coach with the Hornets for 5 seasons. Before that, he served as the Video Coordinate and Graduate Assistant at Cal State Fullerton and coached at various high school programs across Southern California. Mentored by some of the greatest minds in the field of Performance Psychology, Dan brings energy, enthusiasm, and a wonderful passion for the game of basketball.

Dan and his wife Kelsey have two beautiful children who can often be seen running (or crawling) around the gym before practice. Dan’s passion for competition and basketball, radiates throughout the program every day.