Fitchburg State men’s basketball coach Derek Shell recently announced that he will be stepping down as the Falcons mentor after a successful seven-year career with the University.

Over his coaching career at the Fitchburg State, Shell produced some incredible seasons, including five post-seasons, an ECAC Tournament berth and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Throughout his time on the sideline, Shell was very active as the Falcons mentor, including this past season as the Falcons captured the MASCAC tournament title (16-11) and the program’s first-ever, NCAA Tournament berth.

“I would thank Derek for his years of work with Fitchburg State and especially the success of this past season with his team’s NCAA run,” said Sue Lauder, Director of Athletics at Fitchburg State University.

Over his seven years at the helm, Shell finished with an overall record of 72-104 (.409 pct). He qualified for the post-season in all but two years as the Falcons head coach, while also producing seven All-Conference players.

The 2007-08 season proved to very successful for Shell as he was crowned the MASCAC Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year after leading the Falcons to an ECAC Division III playoff berth with an impressive 16-10 record and 8-4 clip in the MASCAC. During the 2009-10 season, Shell lifted the Falcons to their second straight MASCAC Tournament appearance after posting an overall record of 8-18, while in 2011-12, the Falcons earned the sixth-seed in the MASCAC playoffs with an overall record of 13-12.

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