NCAA champion and former Army officer Derek Moore joins the Full Tilt Podcast to walk through his unlikely rise from undersized, lightly recruited California kid to 2007 NCAA Champion and OW at 141 lbs, his time in the Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), and his current role building a faith-centered Division I program at CBU.
In this episode, Derek and Hatch dig into:
Growing up in small-town Redding, California and discovering wrestling
Walking on at UC Davis, grinding through redshirt years, and almost quitting
The influence of legendary coach Lenny Zaleski and the old-school UC Davis grind
Winning the 2007 NCAA title over Ryan Lang with a top-game clinic and earning OW
Transitioning to freestyle in the Army’s WCAP, training at the OTC, and wrestling overseas
Leading soldiers as a field artillery officer vs. leading a college wrestling team
Building the California Baptist (CBU) wrestling program and the role of faith in his life and coaching
If you love wrestling, leadership, and redemption stories grounded in faith and hard work, this episode is for you.

Timed Episode Highlights
0:00 – 3:42 Small-town roots, Northern California life, and first impressions of Riverside
3:42 – 7:43 Discovering CBU, NorCal vs SoCal, and faith and community in Riverside
7:43 – 12:56 Undersized high schooler, almost no recruiting, and landing at UC Davis
12:56 – 17:02 ROTC scholarship, balancing Division I wrestling and military training
17:02 – 23:02 Redshirt grind, getting beat up, almost quitting, and mentors who kept him in
23:02 – 30:00 Style and mindset shift: from tiny 88-pounder to big 141 with a lethal top game
30:00 – 36:41 Technical deep dive: counter offense, shin whizzer, Jonesy tilts, and mat wrestling
36:41 – 40:15 2007 NCAA run, teching Ryan Lang, and winning Outstanding Wrestler
40:15 – 44:39 UC Davis love, parade, and then the heartbreak of the program being dropped
44:39 – 52:32 ROTC commitment, joining the Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP)
52:32 – 59:13 Training at the OTC under Terry Brands, Zeke Jones, Brandon Slay, and Bill Zadick
59:13 – 1:05:22 Overseas tours, brutal foreign training camps, and learning international styles
1:05:22 – 1:11:20 Transition from athlete to coach: Sacred Heart to CBU and the D2-to-D1 climb
1:11:20 – 1:20:00 Building CBU Wrestling, recruiting, faith impact on athletes, and California wrestling
1:20:00 – 1:24:42 Comparing military leadership to coaching a college team
1:24:42 – 1:25:57 Hardest Lenny Zaleski workouts and old-school UC Davis conditioning
1:25:57 – End Reflections, biggest rewards as a coach, and closing thoughts

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