Derrick Fears, a 20-plus year coaching veteran, is entering his 20th season as the head coach of the MDCC men's basketball program in 2023-2024. His lengthy coaching career has included stints as a graduate assistant, assistant, associate head and head coach. Fears, who has coached well over 20 players who have gone on to play Division I basketball, has created a resurgence in the men’s basketball program at Mississippi Delta, leading the Trojans to a Region XXIII runner-up finish in 2005 and a state runner-up finish in 2013, as well as an appearance in the 2018-2019 Mississippi Association of Community and Junior College (MACJC) playoffs.

Fears arrived at Mississippi Delta Community College after serving one season as associate head coach at Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C.(2003-2004), where he helped guide the Panthers to the conference tournament championship game. Prior to Claflin, Fears served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at East Central Community College for one season (2002-2003) and helped lead the Warriors to the state (second round) and regional tournaments.

He also spent four seasons (1998-2002) as an assistant coach at Ridgeway High School in his hometown of Memphis, where he also coached softball and volleyball. Each sport that he was involved in either played for or won a championship (middle school girls basketball-city and state sectional champion; high school volleyball- district champs and regional runner-up and girls high school- district and region champion; and boys high school state championship team).

Fears graduated from Mississippi College, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in 1991 and Master of Science degree in communication in 1995, and served as a graduate assistant from 1993-1995. During this time, the Choctaws won the Gulf South Conference West Division and tournament championships, and Fears played a vital role in a recruiting class that recorded a record of 38-19 during his tenure.

His playing career includes two years of professional basketball in Europe for Oliveirense of Portugal, two years at Mississippi College (39-16 record) and two years at Northeast Mississippi Community College (54-8 record and nationally ranked). The Memphis native is a graduate of Trezevant High School, where he was a standout guard/forward that earned All-State honorable mention honors.

Fears is married to the former Victoria Watkins of Indianola and the couple has three children, sons Khalid Fears and Shaquivious Watkins, and daughter Nicole Watkins. The couple resides in Moorhead.