Derrick Samuel Alston Sr. (born August 20, 1972) is an American basketball coach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. In February 2023, Alston became the second head coach of the Montreal Alliance of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He previously coached primarily in the NBA G League, including as the head coach of the Westchester Knicks.

Early life

Born in The Bronx, New York, Alston played basketball at Hoboken High School in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Professional career

Alston, a power forward/center from Duquesne University, started off his professional career when he was selected 33rd overall in the 1994 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers for whom he played two seasons. He then played 2 games for the Atlanta Hawks in late 1996 before taking his game overseas. Joining the New Zealand Breakers mid-season 2007–08, Alston made an immediate impact. Statwise, he reached the top 20 in the league for FG%, shooting at 56.0%, and offensive rebounds, while averaging 13.8 ppg and being instrumental in helping the Breakers reach the playoffs for the first time in club history.

Career statistics

NBA

College

Coaching career

After retiring, in 2012, Alston joined the staff of the Houston Rockets and served as their Player Development Coach for two seasons 2012–2015. On October 27, 2015, he was hired by the Westchester Knicks to be an assistant coach. In August 2014, Alston traveled to the Philippines as a SportsUnited Sports Envoy for the U.S. Department of State. In this function, he worked with Alison Feaster and Erik Spoelstra to conduct basketball clinics and events for more than 375 youth from underserved areas. In so doing, Alston helped contribute to SportsUnited's mission to advance the status of women and girls around the world and to show support to an important regional partner. In August 2019, he was named head coach of the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. He held the head coaching position until the end of the 2021–22 season. On October 25, 2022, Alston was named an assistant coach of the NBA G League's College Park Skyhawks. In November 2023, Alston was named head coach of the Pioneros de Los Mochis of the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA) ahead of the 2024 season. On November 1, 2024, Alston became an assistant coach for the Wisconsin Herd.

Personal life

Alston's son Derrick Alston Jr. was a college basketball player at Boise State, before embarking on a career in professional basketball. Alston also has a daughter named Avery.